The Girl with the Crimson Cloak
by Kittynicula
Summary: The untold story of Little Red Riding Hood. Vilkas, formerly known as the "Big, Bad, Wolf" is being sentenced to death for his 'crime.' He vehemently denies his involvement, claiming to have been framed by Red and her grandmother. Will you listen to his tale? Rated M: Profanity, blood, gore, and treachery
1. Prologue

The cell was dark and dreary, bursting to the seams with lost souls who were about to die with unfulfilled dreams and guilty consciences. It was damp, though Vilkas wasn't sure if that was because it was so wet or because of the dampened spirits of all the prison's occupants. He suspected it was both. Mold covered the ceilings and the floor and the stench was terrible. Urine and feces wafted into his sensitive nostrils, but he had long since become immune to the stench of dying humanity. In fact, he thought that it was because he wasn't exactly human that gave him leverage. He did not possess the fragile mind that the two-legs boasted about with their ethics and morals. No, all he thought about was survival, for that was all that mattered in the cruel world that they shared. Thinking about others only brought you here: Adenhale Prison. Vilkas had tried to be what he was not and now he was paying the price for it, but even now he still fought for he had learned his lesson.

And he wanted blood.

Vilkas's cell mate stirred in the corner and lifted his head. When his eyes landed on Vilkas the man gave a strangled shout and tried to scramble away from him. It was like this every night, though could Vilkas blame him? He must be a terrifying sight to wake up to.

When the man finally regained his composure he could only stare and Vilkas, soon losing patience, huffed and turned away from him. Let him gawk. It was what everyone in this God-forsaken town would be doing tomorrow morning when he would be executed for his 'crime.'

"D-Do they…ya know…hurt?" Vilkas lifted his head and frowned at the human, his eyes annoyed slits. Couldn't he even sleep in peace for his last night on this earth? "Those chains?" The man clarified as if Vilkas had no idea what he was referring to. Vilkas sighed irritably.

Apparently not.

"Of course they hurt. They're silver." The man paled the instant Vilkas's gravelly voice left his maw. Clearly the man hadn't been expecting for Vilkas to answer, but then why would he? It wasn't like Vilkas had responded to any of the other man's questions for the month he had spent in this horrible place.

"H-How can you talk?" The man suddenly demanded and understanding dawned on Vilkas. His cell mate didn't think he could talk in this form. That was also understandable. How many of mankind would walk around saying they conversed with a wolf? Truly such ramblings would be met with a burning at the stake for some sort of witchcraft. Vilkas grumbled. He knew two people that deserved such a painful death. _They_ were the ones who should be rotting in prison. Not him.

"Same as you." Vilkas replied simply in a tired voice, resting his head on his paws, wincing from the silver manacles that chained him to the ground by his ankles. The pain was constant, though it had long since dulled. His body no longer told him that silver would hurt him, deeming him foolish for being exposed to it for so long. It wasn't like he had a choice, but he was glad that the stabbing pains that had tormented him for the first couple weeks had lessened to just a painful ache, only intensified by movement. "I move my lips and sound comes out." His cell mate did not seem to appreciate the sarcasm and the two were silent for awhile. Vilkas, glad for the peace, closed his eyes once more to try and sleep.

The silence did not last long.

"Is it true?" The man asked suddenly and Vilkas gave a threatening growl.

"Sleep, human. Do not give me an excuse to move." His words only seemed to confirm whatever rumor the man had believed and he gave a yelp of fright. Vilkas allowed the scent of fear to wash over him and his blood lust spiked. Yes, this was a response he was used to, something he missed. Humans were supposed to be afraid of him, not curious. At least have one human think of him as frightening before he died.

"So you did eat that woman!" Vilkas's eyes snapped open as rage suddenly engulfed him, the scent of fear forgotten. All he saw was red as he located the man across the room with a murderous stare. He was on his feet in an instant and lunged towards the man who quickly scrambled backwards. The chains quickly did their job though and Vilkas was stopped in his tracks, snapping his teeth in vain at the man that was just achingly out of his reach. How dare he accuse him of such a thing!? Vilkas trembled with the need to tear this man limb from limb for this worthless man's audacity. If he did reach the man then Vilkas would actually be executed for a crime he did in fact commit, because nothing would be left.

"I ate no one! That old hag still lives in the forest with that vixen who runs around and does her dirty work!" Vilkas spat, his eyes blazing as he tried to get a hold of the man in front of him. The man, seeing that Vilkas could not reach him, calmed down and was sure to stay where he was to not fall victim to the wolf's ivory teeth. The disheveled man looked confused, no doubt trying to remember the rumors that had been forced down his throat, no doubt by that vixen herself.

"But Red said—"

"That good-for-nothing bitch is a liar! She's the reason why I'm in this hole." He snarled bitterly, his breaths coming in short, angry pants. Vilkas fought to regain his composure as he shook himself. The manacles jangled, only reminding Vilkas of his imprisonment. He gingerly went back to his corner, his back to the man, and sat in a stony silence, determined to ignore this man. He was obviously brainwashed by that witch.

"So…you didn't eat Red's grandma and then try and eat her?"

"Were you not listening, human? I ate no one. I was framed."

"By who?" An angry roar answered him, leaving the man quaking in his own corner, terrified of the creature just a few feet away.

"Are you daft!? By Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother!" Memories began to swirl in his mind and he tried valiantly to shut them out but one stubbornly remained the harsh truth evident in his current predicament.

_Red, cold and beautiful, stood over him. Her bright blue eyes were now as cold as the darkest depths of the ocean as she brandished the bloodied silver axe in her hand. _

"_Oh Vilkas," she had said, her voice filled with mocking, "no one's going to believe you over me." She crouched next to him, placing a blood-stained hand on his cheek. "After all, who's going to believe the Big, Bad, Wolf?" _

Vilkas growled loudly. She had left him there that night a month ago, bleeding and broken, to be found by the Adenhale police. He had been next to a bloodied corpse and an unconscious Red, who later awoke after his interrogation and spun a wild tale about how he had followed her in the forest, killed her grandmother, and then tried to eat her. It was all lies! That hag was still alive, he was sure of it, and both her and Red were going to get away scot-free while he died for a crime he did not commit.

"But all those people that had disappeared…someone _did_ kill them. Where did they all go?" Vilkas ignored him, tired of this fool. He obviously wasn't going to believe him. No one else did, so why even bother? "Hey, Wolf?" The man persisted and still Vilkas ignored him. There was no point in telling this man anything. Telling him the truth would only force him to relive his memories. It wouldn't change anything.

"Or maybe it was some_thing_." The man said thoughtfully, his face scrunched up as if it took all ounce of effort to think logically. "Everyone in town did think the 'murders' were actually wolf attacks—" Again the man cowered from Vilkas's snapping teeth for he had suddenly lunged from the floor, paying no heed to the chains that rooted him to the spot. However, the man was soon brave again, for he remembered that Vilkas could not travel far, that he was safe in this small corner. "You can't deny it! There have been times where your kind has attacked ours." Vilkas only snarled wordlessly, his outrage eminent as he stared down at the man in front of him, only mere inches away from his quivering jaws. "Gone rabid, or some junk like that. What makes this time any different? Just because there was more than usual doesn't make it abnormal."

"Enough!" Vilkas thundered and the man quaked where he stood. The authority was undeniable in the wolf's voice and he had a feeling that this animal was used to having his orders followed. "You have slandered my race enough, little human." Vilkas continued to snarl, but he did not move. The chains that kept him tethered bit into Vilkas's skin but he ignored them. He had to remind this man that he should be afraid of tormenting a wolf for he was getting cocky in his speech. "Yes, there have been attacks on your kind from us, but those were rogue wolves who were swiftly dealt with." The man paled, no doubt understanding that those wolves were no longer in this realm. "We would never willingly attack humans and prefer to have some sort of co-existence." Vilkas suddenly snorted. "I even remember when your kind regarded us as Gods. Such primitive fools then…" The man looked confused and Vilkas didn't elaborate, though he couldn't believe he had let that one slip. His kind in particular could live for centuries without showing signs of aging. Human kind generally only knew of the Lesser Wolves that roamed the Earth who could not speak and only had one form. "But your kind still must be primitive even now for not being able to distinguish a wolf kill from a human one." The man sank to the ground, stunned, as if this thought had never even occurred to him. Vilkas had a feeling it never had. Humans always had a tendency to look for the easiest explanations for things. Such creative thinking had been effectively squandered years ago. "I have to admit," Vilkas said begrudgingly, "she did a good job though. I had to make sure none of my wolves had stepped out of line before venturing out—"

"She? Venturing out?" Vilkas shot the man another look of annoyance. He was not used to being interrupted by lesser beings.

"Red Riding Hood of course. Once I discerned that my wolves were in fact innocent, I had gone deeper into the forest to discover who had the audacity to try and frame my kind." The man looked confused and Vilkas sighed before settling down on the ground. Curse this man. Maybe he had done it on purpose, but now Vilkas felt inclined to tell him what he knew, if only to cure that look of confusion on his face. "You must keep up human. I'll start from the beginning if I must…"


	2. Mystery in the Forest

Adenhale was a rustic little town that had barely changed at all during the decades that Vilkas had been alive. It seemed like the same people lived there no matter how many years went by. There would always be the farmers, the carriage drivers, the chimney sweeps, the blacksmiths, and, of course, the local law enforcement.

"How long have you been alive?" Vilkas's cell mate cut in, curious. Vilkas silenced him with a glare before continuing his tale as if the man hadn't interrupted him.

The faithful servants of the law were unfortunately very trigger happy, especially when it came to the local wolf population in the area. The Lesser Wolves often caused quite a ruckus by killing cattle and raiding chicken coops, and even, when provoked, the occasional attack on a human. As Alpha—

"So you are an Alpha! I knew it!" Vilkas growled.

"Silence, human. You're beginning to annoy me. As I was saying…"

As Alpha it was Vilkas's duty to take care of them, even sacrificing a few so that the humans didn't discover the secret that was hiding deep in the forest: werewolves. Werewolves, such as himself, had been a secret for generations. Of course, they had once been well-known, it was where all the folklore came from, but the existence had been too much on mankind and they made the decision to go into hiding.

"You're a werewolf!?" Vilkas sighed irritably.

"Yes, I'm sure I just made that clear."

"So you can just turn into a human whenever you want?"

"No, it doesn't work that way—"

"Because if you can, you could just turn into a human and escape—"

"If you would just let me finish—" His cell mate kept talking though and Vilkas finally snapped his teeth in warning, sufficiently silencing him. "One more interruption and I will silence you myself." He snarled impatiently and the man gave a mute nod to show that he understood.

In the traditional folklore werewolves have the ability to change into their wolf form once every full moon, an excruciatingly painful process that unleashes a monster upon humanity. However, werewolves had adapted since then. Being human all the time proved to be difficult when residing in the forest, so now his kind only experienced being human once a month.

His cell mate moved to talk again but Vilkas answered the obvious question that was about to come out of his mouth.

"I am able to become human every full moon, which is why my execution date is tomorrow. I will be hung for my crime in your Kind's primitive fashion of execution." The man nodded so Vilkas deemed it safe to continue.

Now werewolves didn't look like normal wolves. The great mountain wolves, graced with the name of Timber, looked small compared to Vilkas's kind. There was no way that humans would mistake a werewolf for a normal one, so they hid deep in the forest and were only roused when something serious arose on the horizons. Werewolves had kept their peace with humanity for two previous Alphas before Vilkas, but when it had been brought to his attention that Adenhale was becoming restless, Vilkas had sent scouts in investigate on a full moon.

His scouts had scoured the taverns that evening and returned later on in the evening to report what they had found. With alcohol on their breaths the two told Vilkas that Adenhale was currently in an uproar. People, rich and poor, were vanishing left and right. Vilkas immediately shrugged the scouts off.

"Tis not a concern of ours. This is clearly a human problem—"

"But Alpha," the first Scout, a lean male, interrupted with a slight tremor in his voice. It was never wise to interrupt a superior, but Vilkas, knowing they would not cut him off unless it was important, let the interruption slide. He gave a slight nod of encouragement and the Scout continued. "The people of Adenhale are blaming the wolves."

Vilkas was astounded. Blaming the wolves for a couple of disappearances? What proof did they have? He voiced as much and the second Scout piped up. This one was female, lithe and agile.

"They have no proof sir, just circumstantial evidence." She paused. "But I believe we have a rogue upon us." Vilkas began to pace as he considered the possibility.

"So there have been bodies?"

"For each person that has disappeared, yes." The first scout spoke again. His voice trembled and Vilkas was reminded of the boy's youth. It had been his first mission and he had been shaken.

"You've seen them then?" He pressed further and the two Scouts glanced at one another.

"We've seen the most recent one sir. It was…awful. There was barely anything left. It definitely looked like a wolf attack, sir." The first scout finished with an uncertain look flitting between the two. Vilkas saw the glance they had shared and repressed an irritable huff. He had to be patient with the rookies. They had to learn on their own what such attacks looked like. Plus, he reminded himself, until now, they had lived in a time of peace with the humans. It was understandable that they were not aware of what such a violent crime would look like. Only the Elders, Aside from himself, would remember such times and be able to confirm what the humans were claiming.

"And you are certain that it is not one of their own kind attacking them?"

Another uncertain glance.

"We weren't able to get a close look." The second scout confessed. "There were humans everywhere and they were only letting the officers near the body, but…from where we were standing, it definitely looked like a rogue's work." Vilkas shook his head, immediately dismissing that idea.

"We haven't had a rogue in the area in years. We would know if someone had entered our territory without permission." Seeing their unconvinced looks, Vilkas finally let loose a growl of frustration. The two scouts took a hasty step back at the warning.

"We weren't doubting you sir, it's just…you didn't see what we saw." Vilkas looked from one determined face to the next. They were convinced of this rogue attack theory. He sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he was being too close-minded on the issue. If his scouts, admittedly talented despite their ages, were saying that this might be the work of a werewolf, then it was his job as Alpha to investigate.

"The law enforcement will not let anyone near the body?" He asked, glancing towards the sky. It was still dark, but he could start to distinguish a hint of light in the sky. It would be dawn soon. He only had two hours left at most. Would that be enough time?

Like any wolf on the full moon Vilkas was in his human form. He had admittedly been counting the hours till the sun rose, but now it was a hindrance. He needed more time to investigate this properly, time he didn't have.

"It's too far, Alpha." The second scout said softly, no doubt guessing what was on his mind. "You wouldn't make it before the sun rose, and they would shoot down any wolf they saw in the area." Vilkas harrumphed his agreement and stroked his jaw thoughtfully. He didn't like what the alternative was, but it was all that they had.

"Then we'll have to wait for the next attack." The surprised gasps didn't bother Vilkas. He was used to having to make such hard decisions. He was perfectly aware that he was condemning another life by ordering them to wait, but he was convinced that was all they could do. They did not know for sure if the culprit was human or werewolf so they could not prepare accordingly. Besides, if it was a human affair, the werewolves had no reason to get involved. It would be a matter for them to settle and they would just fade back into the darkness of the forests. If it was a werewolf, well…he or she would be swiftly dealt with. Until then—

"Round up all the Scouts." He told the two protesting children in front of him. "Be on the lookout for any type of activity, either human or werewolf. We've got to get to the bottom of this. The last thing we need is humans storming the forests and discovering its secrets." The scouts, deciding they liked their Alpha's change of heart, dispersed quickly to spread the word. Vilkas sighed softly and looked to the sky once more. The Elders had warned him that a storm was coming, though they had been spewing nonsense like that for years so he hadn't taken them seriously. What if they were discovered? What would that mean for his kind? Would they be run out?

No.

There were too many wolves in his pack that were looking for any reason to attack the humans. They would leap at this chance to fight for their territory. So which was worse? Being run out or causing an all out war? Both were frightening concepts that Vilkas did not want to face, but all he could do was wait until the next attack. It was the only option he had, so he would tell his wolves to keep their eyes open and their ears to the ground. Maybe they were worrying over nothing, but he had learned the hard way many times that it was better to be safe than sorry. If there was a threat to their existence on the loose, his pack would be ready, and as their Alpha, Vilkas would be prepared for anything.


	3. Red

The next attack occurred a week later.

The spacing between the attacks alarmed Vilkas. Why would a killer strike so soon? He was starting to doubt the attacker was one of mankind, for a human killer would wait for the law enforcement to stop searching before attacking again. Such a consistency in attacks could only mean that their killer was hungry. Though whether it was for blood or actual flesh Vilkas was still not sure. Murmurings were starting to flit through his pack members and he couldn't blame them for he was starting to share similar thoughts. Was the killer in fact a werewolf?

However, now that Vilkas was toying with the idea of rogue on the loose, his scouts were saying otherwise.

"We didn't hear anything." One of the scouts argued. Vilkas glanced around the clearing that they were gathering in to find the voice. It was the same scout from last week. It was funny how he would be speaking up when he had started the rumor of a rouge wolf in the first place. Tumult was his name. When he locked eyes with Vilkas he quickly lowered them to avoid issuing a challenge to his authority. Smart boy. "We didn't hear anything, sir." He amended softly, stubbornly sticking to his point. "If it had been a wolf attack we would have heard something! There were no screams, no growls, no howls, no nothing! For such a violent attack there would have been some sound of some kind, but there wasn't." Vilkas raised an eyebrow.

"Well then what are you suggesting?" Tumult gulped slightly, his eyes still lowered.

"I don't think it is a rogue attack, sir."

"You were singing a different tune last week." Vilkas reminded him and he could see Tumult's ears turn a shade of red from where he stood.

"I know sir, and it was wrong of me to jump to such a conclusion. I was no better than the humans, but how could such a violent killing take place without some kind of commotion? With all of the Scouts on high alert we should have detected something—"

"Alright, alright." Vilkas conceded with a nod. "I have heard of such methods among the humans. They render their prey unconscious with some sort of herb and then they kill them. Maybe that is what is considered 'humane' among their kind, but I disagree. There is no honor in an unfair fight." He huffed softly before he could start his rant. Honor was a big thing among werewolves, and for humans not to follow such a thing and have the audacity to call themselves superior to any race was just sickening. "Since this is a human matter, these attacks no longer need our attention. Human affairs are not our concern."

"But, Sir—"

"Human affairs are not our concern." Vilkas repeated more forcefully this time, his authority bearing down on them all. His massive size was hard to ignore for he was one of the biggest of his kind. His Scouts quickly silenced their protests and Vilkas nodded briefly, ending the meeting, before trotting out of the clearing, his word final.

A scout was killed the next morning. The pack was in a uproar and it was all Vilkas could do to keep them from storming the small town next door, undoubtedly responsible for the death of their brethren. His pack members were eager to point fingers, though none were brave enough to blame their Alpha for Tumult's death. They didn't have to. Vilkas mourned the loss of the young one on his own, for it was his fault Tumult had perished. His negligence had caused the death of one so young, and the youth were treasured among the werewolf kind for they were so far and few in between.

"How did this happen?" He had demanded. Vilkas couldn't remember who had spoken. All that he could see was Tumult's cold, still form.

"He was shot between the eyes, Vilkas." The soft spoken voice had barely registered. He was committing this sight to memory, to remind him that this was what happened if he doubted his pack members. If he had just paid attention to what Tumult was saying, he might still be alive. "No werewolf could survive that, even in wolf form." The evidence was right there in front of them and Vilkas did not need to be reminded. He had left the clearing quickly after that. The rest of the wolves slowly dispersed, saying their goodbyes one by one before leaving the body where it had been slain. Burying the dead was a strictly human practice, one the werewolves did not participate in. They preferred to let nature take its course so they could give back to the animals they preyed upon.

After Tumult's death, Vilkas became obsessed with finding the killer of Adenhale's citizens. It no longer mattered if it was a human affair or not. A wolf's death was on his hands and he had to make things right, and that would be by tracking down the killer himself. He would patrol the forest late into the night, keeping an ear out for any sound that was irregular, but it was all the same. The trees still breathed their soft sighs and the animals still rustled quietly in their burrows, hoping to be undetected by the massive beast lurking outside their homes. Vilkas would never admit to it, but it was by pure chance that he discovered what was really happening.

It had been a month after Tumult's death when he witnessed the attack himself. Vilkas, a mere shadow of his former glory, was weak from hunger and lack of sleep. His fur had lost its luster and his eyes, lacking their shine for adventure, were dim and not what they used to be. Yet, even with his weary eyes he was able to discern what was happening right in front of him.

Vilkas almost stumbled upon the murderer herself that evening, making such a ruckus as he scrambled backwards to stay hidden that he was surprised she hadn't heard anything. He watched from the shadows of the forest as the lady worked. She was wearing a red hooded cloak, though that was understandable because it was so cold, and was carefully carving the body beneath her. It was done with such a practiced hand that Vilkas had no doubt she had been committing murders for a long time. When she was done with the body, she began to harvest all of the organs, placing them carefully into the basket that was next to her. Vilkas was puzzled. Why was she doing that? He quickly decided that skulking in the shadows would accomplish nothing and made his presence known. His first instinct was to kill the woman in front of him, but his memory of Tumult's death kept him from doing so. Because he had been too rash the young wolf had died. He did not want to make that mistake again. Maybe there was more to this story than he knew about.

"You do that with such precision Little Red Hood. I have no doubt that you have been doing this for a long time." The woman's head snapped up, her bright blue eyes wide with surprise. She dropped the knife in her hand and scrambled backwards from the body, as if distance from the fresh carcass would somehow eradicate her of what she was guilty of. Even if that were possible, the blood staining her hands would prove otherwise.

Vilkas had to admit she was beautiful. Even though her hood covered most of her features, the ones he could see were soft and lovely. Her slight frame gave her the illusion of frailty, though from the size of the body a short distance away, the woman was anything but frail. How had she dragged such a massive body so far into the forest? Was there another among the trees? The thought made Vilkas tense and his head swiveled. The girl watched him warily, edging towards the end of the clearing as if it were her only chance of escape. His eyes narrowed in her direction and she stilled. It was then that he noticed a huge shadow just at the edge of the clearing. It had been the woman's destination. Was that—a soft snort came from the shadow and Vilkas's suspicions were confirmed. It was a horse, no doubt making the transport of such a large body possible.

"Little Red Riding Hood," Vilkas amended, his tone icy as he stepped into the clearing. She gave a gasp when he had stepped into the moonlight, his massive form revealed. He easily towered over her, almost as big as the horse behind her and much more dangerous. He could see his own reflection in her wide eyes: a terrifying beast that was all teeth and claws, a horrifying sight even in his state. He was a creature that could tear her limb from limb without any effort, and oh how he ached to. The woman began to tremble, no doubt fearing the worst. "Why are you killing your own? Are you not aware that it is a crime to kill your own kind?" He asked dryly, knowing the answer. Of course she would know. She was killing them in the darkest parts of the forest to keep from being discovered.

"I-I am fully aware. It is a crime punished by death." Even her voice was lovely, soft and musical. He could listen to it forever.

"As you would deserve Little Red Riding Hood, for you have shown a large folly in your judgment." He struggled to keep his voice cold. Females were treasured among werewolves. Like the youth, they were very few in the world and they were to be protected. Even if a female had gone rogue, she would not be immediately killed. Instead, she would try to be acclimated back into pack life for a lone female wolf was exceedingly rare. His belief that females were sacred led Vilkas to believe that this woman in the red hood did not deserve to die, but if that was the way among humans, he must play the part. "So why do you continue to murder your own kind? What do you have to gain from it? And answer truthfully young one, for you are the reason one of my kind is dead." The threat hung in the air and the woman stilled once more, fear rolling off her in waves.

"W-Wolves are killed all the time! Why was that one so—"

"I am not a mere wolf girl! Do I look like one?"

"Well, yes." She said softly, her voice losing its tremble as it gained strength. "You have so much hair, and your eyes are so big…and look at how much teeth you have!" Vilkas had bared his teeth at her for her impudent tone to try and inspire some fear in her once more, fear was such a lovely scent, but it had a different effect. It had only inspired this girl's curiosity and she edged closer, even extending a trembling hand to try and touch him. "You definitely look like a wolf, so what makes you so different from those 'mere wolves' other than size?" Tired of her tone, Vilkas snapped warningly at her hand. She quickly snatched it back though she remained annoyingly calm, not afraid in the least. The change in her demeanor was almost unnerving.

"Intelligence, the ability to speak, and physical prowess, among other things." He said slowly as if talking to a child for he was only stating the obvious. This seemed to rile her as she turned on her heel and moved to pick up her basket. Vilkas chucked darkly and sprang silently, landing squarely on her back and pinning her to the ground. He smelled deeply and grinned. Now there was the fear that he had wanted.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to turn your back on an enemy?" He mocked softly, pulling her hood back with his teeth. Her hair was a dark brown like the bark of an oak tree and it fell to her shoulders. However, in the recent tussle, he was able to spot the milky white flesh of her neck and he skimmed his teeth across the exposed skin. She trembled and whimpered softly, her heart fluttering wildly.

"My mother never taught me anything. She died when I was young." Her musical voice was muffled for she was speaking into the ground. "My grandmother taught me everything I know, I just simply forgot her lessons…" There was a pause. Vilkas had no doubt her mind was furiously working to think of something to prolong her life. After all, if he was talking, he wasn't killing her. "I thought we were friends." She said softly and Vilkas gave a bark of laughter. After she had caused Tumult's death? How could they ever be friends? How naïve was this girl?

He nipped her shoulder and the girl screamed as if he had truly bitten her. He laughed again.

"Scream all you want girl, no one will hear you." He growled. Vilkas looked down at the woman under him, prostrate. It would be so easy to kill her, but would that really solve anything? Yes, the murders would stop, but did that mean his kind was safe? The humans were plunging even farther into the forests now, eager to kill any wolf they spotted. Another human death would just make things worse, and the exposure of werewolves was at stake. He would have to figure out another way to solve this problem. Killing her was the easiest, but it would have too many repercussions. He didn't want any more wolves dying on his watch.

Vilkas leaned in close, allowing his full weight to bear down on her. She screamed and started to struggle but quickly went still again when he wrapped his jaws around her neck. He then let go and the woman got the hint. She did not try to escape again, though he kept his weight on her.

"I will ask you again, Little Red Riding Hood, why are you killing your own kind?" He snarled softly and she began to cry. "Tell me, and I'll let you up."

"I-I can't b-breathe!" She gasped and Vilkas snarled loudly. Little Red Riding Hood quickly stopped talking and focused more on breathing to remain conscious.

"If you have time to complain, you have time to tell me something useful! Speak!" Vilkas was not a fan of issuing his authority. His reign as Alpha was a rather lax one for he was more liberal in his ways of leadership than his predecessors. However, like any Alpha, he had the ability to issue an order and, with the aid of pack magic, the order would be followed. It was an instant guarantee among the pack, but for outsiders like the woman beneath him he wasn't sure. Would it even work? He waited with bated breath and was finally rewarded after a long silence.

"My grandmother is making me do it." She spoke quickly, though Vilkas wasn't sure if that was because of the command or because she was running out of air. He let up on the pressure a little bit to show that he was true to his word. Once he got the whole truth she would be let up. "She has this…business. And we…n-need the meat." The woman then began to cry once more and Vilkas had a feeling that it was not out of fear. With a sigh he stepped off her back and allowed her to sit up. "She makes me do it every time we run out of meat for the pies." Little Red Riding Hood confessed after she had sobbed for several minutes. "She says it's safest to do it to people who won't be missed, but…ever since grandmother made me start killing…business has been booming. I guess people just like the taste of human flesh." She shuddered as if this thought disgusted her before continuing, her voice shaky.

"I have to do it more and more often now, so much that I have to get the first person I see to avoid getting a lashing. Anyone I can grab: rich or poor; man, woman…child." She began to cry harder, hiding her face in her hands. "I hate it. I hate it! I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore. My cloak…" She picked up the limp thing on the ground and her hand came away even more red than before. "A long time ago it used to be white. " Vilkas's eyes widened slightly at that. Her entire cloak was a deep, crimson red. There wasn't a white spot left anywhere. If what she was saying was true, then she had been killing for a long time indeed. Much longer than two months which was when the law caught wind that something suspicious was going on and started to investigate into the disappearances.

"Well if you hate it so much, then why don't you stop?"

"Don't you think I tried reasoning with her!?" She demanded shrilly and tucked her knees into her chest as if to add some sort of barrier between her and him. "She's too greedy! Besides…she'll say that she'll turn me into a pie if I don't behave and do what she tells me to do.

"'I took you in when no one wanted you. Even your father tossed you right back into the ditch I found you in.' " Red's voice changed into a raspy one and Vilkas assumed she was quoting her grandmother. "'So you have to do what I say, or I'll turn you into a pie! Your mother didn't listen to me and look what happened to her—'" She started to cry even harder and Vilkas was starting to grow uncomfortable. How much longer would she keep crying? She was beginning to become unintelligible in her speech for her tears were overpowering her. He wasn't sure what to do. He knew now why she was killing, but still had no clue how to help her. What could he offer her?

Protection.

The idea slammed into him with such force that it almost floored him. He could protect her from this grandmother that wanted to kill her. It was the last thing he wanted to do, Tumult's death was still fresh in his mind, but it would be a solution to their problem. The murders would stop, for the old woman was obviously too feeble to commit them on her own, and there wouldn't be another human death on his hands. There was just one huge problem that came along with that.

The girl would find out about werewolves, and that information was powerful in the wrong hands. Humans were afraid of anything they couldn't understand, and to face relatives they thought were long dead because of a wolf attack that happened years before would terrify them. They would kill anything that resembled a dog if they caught wind of werewolves for they were an existence that humanity could not fathom. Witches had already been exposed and were currently facing the repercussions because of it. Burnings were happening almost on a daily basis now. Adding werewolves into the mix would just be a bad idea. Plus there was the fact that werewolves had been a guarded secret for generations. It would cause an uproar among his kind if she found out the truth. She would hold their existence in the palm of her hand, for even whispering a word about their kind would be the end of them all. Was he willing to risk that? Vilkas looked at the crying girl in front of him and asked himself a question he had been trying to avoid asking himself.

Would he be acting differently if the woman in front of him had been a man?

Would he be so willing to throw his pack into uncertain danger if a strong, able-bodied man stood before him? Broken, alone, and unable to change his fate? He stared long and hard at Little Red Riding Hood who, unaware that she was being scrutinized, was still crying. He had to admit, it was hard to step away from the image in front of him, but as of recent, he was reminded of Tumult, for the young wolf was never far from his mind.

Vilkas remembered when the lad was still human. He had been in a similar situation as Red: stuck in a world that he did not want to be in, someone who wanted a way out. Vilkas, taking pity, had offered him an escape, and Tumult in his naivety had taken it. He had become a werewolf on the next full moon when Vilkas had performed the Change: a horrible, violent process that involved bringing the Changeling onto the brink of death to let the Pack Magic take over. The magic worked in mysterious ways for either the transformation would take or it would let the victim die. Tumult had been lucky and had survived. He even seemed happy about his new existence. If Vilkas had been so willing to offer sanctuary then, why was now different? He quickly discovered the answer after a moment of mulling it over.

This girl would not become a part of the werewolf community if he just offered his protection. She would possess a well-guarded secret without being sworn to secrecy like Tumult had been by joining among the werewolf ranks. She could do whatever she wished with the knowledge she possessed and they would be powerless to stop her. He examined the small woman in front of him, her tears finally diminishing into barely audible sniffles as she struggled to regain her composure. She was just a lost girl looking for a way out. How much harm could she do? And if he offered her true sanctuary…

"Little Red Riding Hood," He said slowly, still trying to make up his mind. "Why don't you run away?"

"Run away?" She repeated, her voice hoarse from crying. It held a small note of disbelief, as if that thought had never occurred to her before. "Well…I suppose I could. Grandmother would never be able to find me…but where would I go? I can't stay in town. They would find out I was the killer for sure and I would be hanged!" Before she could go into hysterics again, Vilkas quickly cut in to her frantic thoughts, his voice low and soothing to try and calm her, his mind made up. If he could not help Tumult, then the least he could do was help this girl who was in desperate need of it.

"You could come with me. I could offer you a safe place to live while this whole thing blows over. I can bring you food, shelter, and water. It…won't be what you're used to, but you could escape this life Little Red Hood, and be gone from it forever." She stared at him for a moment before looking away quickly, her cheeks a soft shade of red.

"W-Why, that sounds sort of like a marriage proposal, and I don't even know your name, Mr. Wolf." It was now Vilkas's turn to be embarrassed. He ran over the words he had said in his head but didn't understand how she had gotten such a ludicrous idea. Maybe it was some sort of human custom? Either way, a change of subject was in order.

"Vilkas. My name is Vilkas." He rumbled softly, quickly getting to his paws. "So? Will you come with me Little Red Hood?" He repeated, unable to hide the hint of hope in his voice. He was surprised that he actually wanted to protect her, to keep her safe. To let nothing hurt her ever again. If she came with him, that grandmother of hers would never see her again.

Little Red Riding Hood slowly got to her feet, her bright blue eyes never leaving his. She took a small step towards him, her hand reaching out to touch him again. This time, he let her. Her hand was as soft as he imagined it to be as she ran it across his face in a sort of caress. Vilkas had to remind himself that humans greeted dogs in a similar fashion, that such a gesture meant nothing.

"Vilkas," She repeated softly as if to try the name out. It sounded nice, hearing her say his name. "I'll go with you, and please, call me Red."


	4. The Marking

As expected, Red's arrival caused mayhem to erupt within the Pack. She was a splash of unexpected color in their world of dark, dismal hues. No one could miss her blood-red cloak as she walked beside Vilkas, her small, soft hand pressed against his flank for reassurance. Her blue eyes traveled from one hostile face to another and her hand tightened. No doubt the girl was wondering if she had made the right decision to follow a strange creature to his home rather than stay with her grandmother. Yes, her grandmother had been cruel, but it was a world she was familiar with.

One that wasn't filled with massive wolves that looked like they were going to tear her to pieces if she even twitched.

They had journeyed far into the forest where the trees were so old they seemed to creak with even the smallest gusts of wind. The foliage was so dense that only slits of moonlight peeked through the leaves, lighting their way. The mountains that had loomed in the distance were towering over them for the Den Site started right where they began. Caves dotted the surrounding area, darkness concealing what was within except for the many glittering eyes staring back at them. His wolves came out in hordes, suspicious and hostile gazes flitting between the two of them. Even with their bulk, their footsteps were silent as they regarded the human next to their Alpha. Hackles were beginning to rise and the nearest were curling their lips to bare their ivory fangs.

Vilkas, sensing her worry, glanced down at Red. Their eyes met and he gave what he hoped was a reassuring look before facing his angry Packmates.

"Friends—"

"Vilkas! What were you thinking bringing a human here?" A voice demanded. Vilkas cut a glance to his second in command, Darien, who had spoken. He only had eyes for the human girl beside Vilkas, who undoubtedly reeked of blood if the story Red had told him was true. "Have you lost your mind?" He growled and Vilkas then turned his full attention on his Beta. Darien, realizing he had crossed the line, immediately lowered his eyes to dismiss the unmistakable challenge of authority that had rung through the air. However, Darien was not the only wolf who had misgivings about their Alpha's risky stunt. Many shared his Beta's sentiment, the grouped whispers were evidence enough that they doubted his judgment. Vilkas had to rectify the situation, and quickly, or he would be unable to stop the slaughter that was going to ensue. The death of Tumult was still fresh on everyone's minds and the great, proud wolves had been forced to retreat deeper into the forest to escape human detection. Any human was unwelcome, whether they be friend or foe did not matter.

"Friends," Vilkas began again, his voice deepening to carry the necessary authority, "My family, I know what you are thinking. Why bring a human here when they are the very reason that our world has turned upside down? We are being hunted like the Lesser Wolves and have been forced to relocate to this unsatisfactory place. No longer are we the rulers of the forest, but mere animals that roam the darkness." Vilkas sensed Red looking up at him in alarm. She had no idea where he was going with this speech, but with how it was sounding, it definitely didn't look like it would be in her favor. However, now was not the time to give her reassuring words or looks. Red would just have to trust that he knew what he was doing. "I understand your trepidation, your anger, your grief." Vilkas looked directly at Darien once more. His second-in-command's eyes glazed over for a brief second and Vilkas understood. Tumult had been Darien's brother after all. "But I ask you to look past that, for this human needs our protection—"

A haughty laugh broke the silence and an older Wolf stepped forward. He was a dark, chestnut brown and was almost as large as Vilkas, but had shrunk slightly due to age. In his prime, he would have easily towered over the current Alpha. The Wolf's many scars marked his physical prowess and past victories, but it had been a long time since Neer had intimidated Vilkas and this time was no different.

"Protection? For a human?" Neer called out, stepping forward so his Alpha could see him clearly. It was not like Neer to hide behind others. He preferred to be seen whenever he was insubordinate for he was one of the few not satisfied with the Alpha lineage. Neer had always believed that he would have made the better Alpha, but he had lost that fight fair and square. Still, that did not stop the resentment that glittered in Neer's eyes as he stared down his Alpha. "Since when have they ever needed our protection? They have proven themselves more than capable of being a threat to us in this forest. Why is this human any different? Growing soft for her, Vilkas?"

He felt like he had been slapped in the face and the effect was instantaneous. Vilkas gave no warning as he sprang at Neer who only had time to widen his eyes in surprise before he was pinned to the ground, his Alpha's fangs wrapped around his throat.

"You dare insinuate that I would sully our line, Neer?" Vilkas growled, low enough for only the old Wolf to hear. Shock was the only thing that kept Neer still, but it only lasted a moment before the wolf regained his gall.

"I was only commenting on what I was witnessing myself, Alpha." He sneered, but despite his audacity, Neer made sure to remain quite still. He knew very well that Vilkas was very close to snapping his quivering jaws shut. Despite Neer's words, his submissive stance lulled the Alpha's instincts and kept Vilkas from acting too rashly. "You just seem very fond of this human, even letting her touch you. It is very strange indeed, and besides," Vilkas could hear the triumph in Neer's voice and he resisted the urge to crunch down on his throat. "I never said anything about sullying the Were line. You were the one who jumped to such a conclusion. Did you sense a ring of truth there, dear Vilkas?" With great effort, Vilkas tore his jaws away from Neer's throat, but not before giving a threatening squeeze for good measure.

"No," He called out loudly, "I am not growing soft for this human." He growled, unable to resist a glance at Red as the words left his lips. She stood quite alone, huddled beneath her cloak as she watched the procession with her wide, blue eyes. The girl looked absolutely terrified and Vilkas couldn't blame her. Her only protector had practically announced to his whole Pack that she was just like any other human to him, and seeing how everyone had reacted to her presence in the first place, it was not such a comfortable thing to hear. "However, she is a human in need of protection for she is being hunted by her own."

"Why?" Neer spoke again, slowly getting to his feet but careful to keep his voice sickeningly polite to avoid another reprimand for insubordination. "The humans only hunt their own if they have committed some sort of crime. What has this human done?" Red looked very nervous now, no doubt remembering what Vilkas had told her mere hours before: that she was the reason why one of his wolves was dead. Red caught Vilkas's eye and he wished he could communicate some silent reassurance, but all she could do was keep trusting him.

"This human has done nothing but be victim of unfortunate circumstances. She is not on the run from the Law, but from her own brethren. This human refuses to commit the atrocities they want her to perform, so I offered her sanctuary when she had none."

"And how are her sufferings our problem? What about our sufferings? Have you forgotten that my brother is dead because of these humans?" Darien finally spoke, his tone deadly quiet. Vilkas knew it would come down to this, and he took a deep breath before facing his Beta once again.

"I have not forgotten dear Tumult." Vilkas said softly, the pain evident in his voice. "I mourn the loss of your brother every day Darien, but do you not see Tumult in this human? He too was trapped in unfortunate circumstances and I saved him—"

"But she is not Tumult!" He snarled and whirled around to face Red who now cowered from the unwanted attention. "You, human, are nothing like my brother. He was brave, noble, and kind. He did not run from his problems, but sought an alternative when he had no choice. So, child, are you willing to—"

"Enough!" Neer thundered, effectively cutting off Darien. Vilkas snarled silently at the usurp of his authority, but said nothing. He was glad Neer had the foresight to interrupt for Darien, in his anger, had almost revealed their existence to this unsuspecting human. Red only believed them to be some sort of massive wolf-like creatures. Werewolves only existed in folklore, but if Darien hadn't been stopped, he would have revealed that being a Werewolf was not a birthright. Humans could be turned into their Kind, something that would be both a blessing and a curse.

"I-I am willing to give up my life." A tremulous voice spoke up and all heads swiveled towards her, their breaths held. Had she uncovered the truth after all? "It's why I c-came here after all. To leave my…whole life behind. I want to start over. Please, let me stay." She pleaded softly, taking a few cautionary steps forward. Vilkas saw his opportunity and stepped forward, towering over Red and allowing his authority to press against her. She seemed to shrink from Vilkas as she stared up at him, clinging to the only possession she had left: her cloak.

"So, Little Red Riding Hood, are you willing to stay here and live among us, knowing that you can never leave?" She nodded quickly. After all, it was only an affirmation of what she had just said. "Are you willing to stay here even if it means that you can never interact with your kind again, to live under our laws, and to –eventually—become one of Us?" Red paused, no longer so eager to nod her life away. She was pondering his words, Vilkas could tell, pondering the stress he had put on the word 'us.' Though the meaning was lost on Red, the meaning was not lost on his Pack. It was the only way Vilkas could guarantee that she would be safe: the inevitable promise that she would eventually be Turned.

That she would, eventually, become a Werewolf.

Red, after a long while, straightened and looked Vilkas in the eyes, the steely determination in them unsettling for someone so young. "I am." She said resolutely and Vilkas smiled sadly down at the brave girl before him. So willing to jump into the unknown, to give up her whole life. He wished he could warn her of the mistake she was making, but this was her own choice, it had to be.

"So be it, young one." He turned and faced his Pack, who had grown unnaturally still. The air that had been so tense before now pulsed with something that felt carnal and ancient. It was primitive and demanded that a price be paid, for when something ended something else had to begin. "This human has accepted the price that must be paid to become one of Us, and it is my duty as Alpha to take it. Does anyone object?" Silence. Only that unnatural pulse in the air answered him. No one denied what had to be done, and with no resistance voiced, Vilkas turned back to the girl. He could tell that she felt something magical in the air and a wolfish grin spread across his maw.

She wouldn't be far off.

"This is an ancient ritual, one that was been practiced by my kind for generations. After this ceremony, you will be mine. You will answer to me, and only me, for you will be my ward and I will be your Alpha. Do you still accept, human?" Red nodded again, intimidated by his wolfish stare, and Vilkas gave a jerky nod. "Lift your dress." He commanded solemnly and Red, too startled at the request to think rationally, obeyed. It was only till the protective fabric was above her hip did she give pause.

Supple, milky-white flesh was all Vilkas saw for one brief moment before he reminded himself that he had a job to do. The stirrings of his wolves behind him told the Alpha that he was not the only one thinking such things.

Prey.

Even though it was forbidden for Werewolves to hunt humans, that was essentially what they were. Humans were only protected by the Laws the Werewolves had set for themselves, for they believed themselves too civilized to hunt creatures that were as intelligent as they were. That still did not stop the primal instinct to hunt the weak, and that was what this human was. She was weak, vulnerable, and bare beneath the gaze of many hungry predators. But above this need to hunt was Vilkas's desire to protect this female. With difficulty, he reminded himself of what he had to do.

With no warning, he dug his front claws into Red's flesh. There was no mercy, for even though the wounds were swift, they were also deep and incredibly painful. To her credit, the girl barely uttered a sound but stood trembling before Vilkas. He admired her bravery, but he also hoped that he had made the right choice in bringing her here. The girl let her dress fall with trembling hands and in the silence that followed he watched as blood seeped through the fabric of her dress. The deed was done. She was now his, in more ways than she could have imagined. He turned to face his Pack once again.

"This human is now Marked." He cried out, his voice cracking slightly. "Anyone who tries to harm her in anyway will have to answer to me and face the risk of Exile. You have been warned." He turned to Red. The girl was staring unseeingly into the distance, her hand placed absently over her hip. Was it shock? Was it regret? Vilkas wasn't sure. All he knew was that nothing could be done about it now.

"Come."

The response was expected. Red's instincts, hearing the authority of a command in his voice, moved without thinking, but after a few steps she began to resist, to question why she had moved so readily in the first place. Her body became rigid as her efforts to resist increased and Vilkas watched the internal battle with sad eyes. If she were a Werewolf there would be more chance of resistance, but…Red was undoubtedly human and therefore didn't stand a chance.

"Come." Vilkas repeated with more force and with what seemed like a great amount of effort, Red began to move. She walked woodenly behind him as Darien fell into step beside Vilkas as the crowd dispersed.

"Where will we keep it?" He asked and Vilkas glared at him.

"Red."

"Red what?"

"Her name is Red."

Silence.

"Where will we keep Red?" Darien amended through gritted teeth as if giving her a name was causing him physical pain. Vilkas watched him for a moment before focusing his attention back in front of him.

"She'll be sleeping in your den."

"What?!" Vilkas repeated what he had said, but Darien still seemed to fail to understand.

"Why can't the human sleep in your Den?" He demanded harshly and Vilkas sighed impatiently.

"Neer was very vocal on possible sentimentality on my end for the human. In order to prevent such thinking, wouldn't it be wise to have her sleep somewhere else other than in my quarters?" Darien grumbled, but Vilkas could tell he was in agreement. "Besides, why don't you take this opportunity to bunk with Lily?" Darien gave a grunt of surprise and Vilkas gave a good natured laugh. "You think I haven't noticed you drooling after her while she wasn't looking?" He gave his second-in-command a sideways glance. His poor friend was still speechless. "Tell you what. I order you, as your Alpha, to stay with Lily until further notice. There. Now you can tell her it was an order from the Alpha and," he winked at his friend. "now you have no choice but to obey." Darien finally cracked a smile and moved to hurry and tell Lily the most 'unfortunate' news, but at the last moment he paused.

"Will she be guarded?" The question was hesitant, as if Darien was afraid to ask it.

"Well that would hardly count as freedom if she has guards posted at her door now, will it?" Darien winced but did not move and Vilkas knew his second-in-command was going to persist in the matter. He waited patiently while Darien tried to choose his words carefully.

"I know you want to keep your word to the human Vilkas…but, you brought it into the heart of our world. Don't you think it will keep the peace if you atleast post two guards outside my Den? People won't worry about her wandering back to Adenhale and blabbing about our secrets and no one can get on to you about being too lax on her security." Vilkas was silent for a moment as he took in Darien's words. There was truth in them, and he had to admit, with that logic, it would be wise to take Darien's advice, but…Vilkas looked at Red who was still following mechanically behind them. She was resisting his command to follow them with every step that she took and Vilkas couldn't help but wonder if that was how she was going to live out her new life: resisting it with all her might. Would she ever adapt to their way of life? Was posting guards at her door really the right way to start off that new life?

"What's more important Vilkas?" Darien asked softly as if he had been reading his Alpha's thoughts. "What the human thinks or the safety of your Pack?" It was a a low blow, and Darien knew it, but it worked. Vilkas, with a heavy sigh, nodded his head in agreement.

"Fine Darien, we'll do it your way. Find two Wolves who are wiling to stand guard for the night. Tomorrow we'll work out a better schedule. Hopefully there won't have to be guards at her door for long." Vilkas really didn't want to do it, especially since he could just command Red to stay in the Den until he dictated otherwise, but Darien did have a point. His Pack would worry that Red would be a danger to them, and this would be a small way to reassure them that they were safe, that their Pack was safe. His Beta, with one final nod, left them to their own devices for the night.

When they reached Darien's Den, Vilkas turned to Red who was now giving him a look of open resentment.

"You could have just told me to follow you." She said sullenly, her face transformed by a soft scowl. Vilkas had to admit that the effect was kind of cute, but he pushed that thought quickly away. He couldn't afford to think such things, not when everyone was still so wary of Red's presence. Regardless, he let a smirk cross his features.

"That's what I did."

"Well…yeah! But you somehow made it so that I didn't have a choice. Literally. I tried to stop following you, but it didn't work. It was like my body moved of its own accord."

"Was it painful when you tried to resist?"

"Of course!"

"But you kept at it?"

"…Yeah."

"Well that wasn't really smart of you, was it?" Red scowled again and stormed away from Vilkas into Darien's Den. Vilkas chuckled lightly before following her inside. "This will be your new home for now, Red. Once we have better arrangements for you, you'll be given your own quarters, but until then, you'll be living in Darien's Den." Red, who was still refusing to look at him let alone speak to him, had plopped down on a rock and had her back facing him. Vilkas shook his head,

"Didn't I tell you never to turn your back on an enemy?" Red reluctantly turned back around, the scowl still planted firmly on her face.

"You aren't exactly my enemy now, are you? You're my…whatever now, right?" Vilkas laughed openly now.

"Alpha?"

"Yeah, that word." He nodded deeply to try and hide the mirth from his expression.

"Correct, Little Red Riding Hood, but save all your questions for tomorrow. I think it is time we both get some sleep." It looked like the girl was about to protest, but Vilkas gave her no time to. He had already turned and was leaving the Den before he paused at the entrance. "Do not leave this Den for any reason, not until I get you myself." He commanded and he watched as Red's body went rigid again as she tried to defy his command. She threw him another dirty look but Vilkas didn't apologize. His Pack had to be more important than this girl, and he had to get used to that.

xxXXxx

Vilkas scrunched up his nose.

"Did you use the bathroom in here?" His tone lacked conviction as an accusation, but it was filled with disbelief.

"What did you expect me to do?" Red demanded heatedly, her cheeks flushing a deep scarlet. "You told me I couldn't leave for any reason! Using the bathroom falls under that category." Vilkas suppressed his laughter with difficulty. It was obvious that Red felt utterly humiliated with what she had done, but it wasn't that out of the ordinary. It was, in fact, a rather common smell in the Pup Den. He just didn't associate it with Darien's.

"You'll need to work on finding loopholes in commands. You might not have been able to leave, but nothing was preventing you from asking your Guards to go look for me, or simply shouting for me." Red looked up at him, startled, her humiliation forgotten for now.

"Wait, you're telling me that I need to find loopholes? Shouldn't you be discouraging that kind of behavior?" She asked a bit hesitantly and Vilkas sighed softly. He had debated on whether to tell her this particular fact, but she needed to be armed with every advantage she could get. Red wouldn't be able to survive here otherwise.

"Whether you like it or not Red, you are human and that makes you weak. Being the weakest means you fall to the lowest rank of the pack: the Omega." They were the outcasts of the Pack, the term used for new members or for those who have committed a serious crime and is punished accordingly. It was not the most ideal rank to have. "Since you have the lowest ranking, everyone above you has some sort of authority over you. You will not have the same compulsion to follow orders as you will if I say them, but that same desire to follow them will be present. Your humanity makes you even more susceptible to fall under the compulsion to blindly follow an order, so you will need to be quick on your feet and think of a way to avoid following through with any nonsensical commands, because others will take advantage of their superiority." Red nodded slowly, struggling to understand. The poor girl, this wasn't even the tip of the ice berg when it came to Pack etiquette. She didn't look happy that others had such a strong hold of power over her, but unfortunately she did not have a choice.

"So, since I'm apparently the lowest of the low, how do I get to a higher rank?" Pause. "Is it even possible?" Vilkas shifted uncomfortably. It was something that had been on his mind the previous night. Anyone could tell that, just by looking at Red, that she was not one to take orders lightly. She had lived a life where she had had no choice but to follow the commands of her grandmother to do atrocious things. Of course she would want to rise in rank so that she would not have to be subjected to that kind of power, and, of course, as Alpha, he had the power to change that.

"You are part of the Pack now," He began slowly, trying to choose his words carefully. "but regardless, your situation is…unique. A human has never walked among our ranks, and there are many who would believe that you remain as an Omega for the duration of your stay here." Red's head snapped in his direction, her eyes wide. Vilkas quickly back-pedaled. "You are Pack." The Wolf repeated firmly. "You may stay as long as you like. Rising in rank, however, may prove to be difficult."

"Does no one ever improve their…rank? Why do you guys have them anyway?" Vilkas had to hide a smirk. She was so new to the ways of this world that it reminded him of enlightening the Pups of the way of Pack Life. Maybe he would assign her an Upsilon to answer any question she might have about their world.

"Ranks are our way to establish order, Red. Without order, there would be nothing but chaos as our Males constantly battled to establish some sort of dominance to appease the opposite sex for our mating rituals." Red's cheeks tinged a little at such a blunt response, but Vilkas didn't acknowledge it. It was the truth. "With ranks, everyone knows their duty and their place. And of course, with every place, there are certain rules that everyone must follow and adhere to." Seeing her confusion, Vilkas rumbled at himself in frustration. He wasn't good at this. He would definitely assign her an Upsilon. At that moment, Red's stomach decided to let loose an angry roar that made Vilkas blink in surprise. It didn't occur to him until then that, like any other creature, Red would have needs. She would need to have food.

"Erm….what do you eat, exactly?" Vilkas asked nervously, suddenly anxious of what she would say. What if they couldn't provide for her after all? Red, a little embarrassed by her enthusiastic stomach, avoid Vilkas's gaze.

"Um…,well, I eat meat, just like you guys. " Vilkas visibly perked at that. Well then! They had plenty of that!

"Great. Follow me then and we will continue our discussion after a decent meal."

xxXXxx

Seeing the look on Red's face made Vilkas realize that there was some obvious disconnect on what Red had meant when she said that she would eat meat.

"You mean to tell me that you can't eat this deer like it is now?" He asked, incredulous. Red looked equally so, if not more.

"Of course not!" She huffed, absolutely disgusted by the idea. "I have to cook it! It's dangerous to eat things raw!" Vilkas gave her a long look. Red sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She had let the hood of her cloak down, her long, brown locks rustling gently in the wind. "Like you said earlier Vilkas. I'm human. You guys might be able to eat things raw and not be affected by it, but I can. We're built differently. I can get diseases or food poisoning."

"You can get poisoned from food? Preposterous!" Red huffed once more.

"Well it's true. I'll just settle with vegetables and fruit. Where can I find those?" Red looked around as if expecting to find a small pile of fruits and vegetables. Vilkas shifted uncomfortably.

"You guys don't have fruits and vegetables here, do you?" At the condescending tone Vilkas bristled.

"We're built differently." He reminded her, imitating her voice. Red scowled at him.

"You know, imitation is the lowest form of mockery."

"Well good, now you know how I feel about you right now." Red raised her hands in irritation.

"You are such a child!" Vilkas, who had been sitting, stood to bring himself to his full height and stared down at her. Red, who was through with being cowed, bucked back, pulling her shoulders back and stared back up at him in defiance.

"You are the child. You should remember that." Vilkas growled. He had meant for the show to be playful, but the moment she had directed a challenge at him the exchange had grown serious. She refused to look away and acknowledge defeat so Vilkas simply lifted his paw and pushed her. Red was so slight that it didn't take much pressure for her to be brought down to the floor and on her rear. Looking sufficiently humiliated, Vilkas growled again. "Obviously you did not remember our conversation from earlier. Remember your place."

Their exchange was gathering a lot of attention. Wolves stopped what they were doing to watch the battle between their Alpha and the 'new recruit.' Already others who were friendlier to her arrival were snickering, knowing that she would be a handful. The others who were still consumed by their hatred for mankind simply wanted her to be gone, and hoped the foolish human would eventually do something so horrendous that, by Pack law, she would have to be banished. It was a day they longed for, and they hoped that this interaction would be the seed that would start planting doubt in their soft Alpha's heart.

Red finally looked away and Vilkas, his authority intact, sat down once more. Wolves quickly lost interest and returned to their morning duties. However, one wolf trotted up to the pair with a large piece of meat hanging from her maw. Her fur, an oddity for their region, was almost snow white. Gray spackled her paws, face and ears, and her eyes were a soft, warm amber. Vilkas smiled at the Fae's approach while Red just looked uncomfortable.

"Why Lily! It's great to see you this morning. How did you like the new living arrangements?" Lilly rolled her eyes and dropped the chunk of meat in front of her Alpha, licking any traces of blood from her lips before she answered.

"Didn't I tell you not to meddle with things, brother?" Lilly sounded exasperated, as she should. This wasn't the first time Vilkas had tried to meddle with her love life, though this was a pairing he actually approved of. "Why did you put Darien in my Den? He could have easily been moved to yours!" Vilkas laughed openly.

"Well that wouldn't be much fun now, would it?" Lilly's hackles raised and she nipped playfully at her brother's chin.

"Be careful brother, I can still win against you in a fight." It was an empty threat, but that didn't make it any less true. Lilly had no desire to lead though and was content to teach others, preferring to have her legacy live on in the lives of the young ones rather than as a leader of the Pack. "

"Oh c'mon! You can't tell me you weren't happy about it. Just a little bit?" Lilly rolled her eyes again.

"That Pup couldn't be even more annoying if he tried, and you stuck me in the same Den with him. No, I'm not happy about it. He won't shut up and his antics get on my nerves. I can't believe you did this to me! You're just lucky that I'm speaking to you!" A soft laugh was heard by Vilkas's side and two sets of eyes turned on Red. Surprised at the attention, Red's laugh of amusement turned to one of anxiousness and she quickly looked away, unsure of what to say.

"You think this is funny? I couldn't even sleep last night! Look at the trouble you caused me!" Red looked up, alarmed, but Lilly simply winked at her and Red slowly but surely let a smile cross her features. It was like an electric shock had been sent through the Fae. Her hackles immediately raised, her ears pinned back and her fangs bared. Red immediately scrambled away and Vilkas stepped between them to avoid an onslaught.

"Lilly! Calm down! What happened?"

"The human! She bared her teeth at me!" Her tail was raised behind her, rigid and stiff. Her amber eyes never left the girl and Vilkas finally allowed his heart to slow as he realized what was happening.

"Dear sister, she was simply smiling at you." Lilly was one of the few wolves that had never left the Pack grounds, even when she turned human. It was no surprise that such simple, human actions filled her with alarm.

"Smiling?" Confusion marred her pretty features, but it was enough for her quick temper to settle. Her hackles slowly lowered as well as her tail, but her ears stayed pinned back. Cautious. As was her nature. "What is that?"

"In its most basic form, it shows happiness." Red's voice squeaked out from behind Vilkas. "I had thought you were blaming me for your predicament with that other wolf, but I saw that you were joking and…I was happy."

"Oh, I'm still blaming you for that. It is your fault. I was just letting you know that it didn't really bother me."

"Aha! So you admit it!" Vilkas cut in, earning a withering glare from his little sister at being caught in her own lie. "I will take that as my cue to go." Lilly got to her feet, but before she could leave Vilkas called her back.

"I was wondering if you could take care of Red for a while." The offer floored Lilly.

"Can't the guards take care of her?"

"Guards? What guards?" Red asked, but she was efficiently ignored.

"Well, they could, but they aren't exactly forthcoming. I would like to make you responsible for the task of educating Red on our way of life. I have things to do and—"

"So you tried and realized that she was just as confused as when you started?"

Vilkas, having the tables turned on him, stuttered into silence. The girls chuckled. "Don't worry brother. I will take care of her. When would you like her lessons to—" Red's stomach grumbled once more and she placed a hand over her stomach like it would stifle the sound, her cheeks aflame.

"Still hungry here."

"Well, then eat." Lilly looked pointedly at the chunk of meat still at Vilkas's feet.

"I can't eat it…"

"It's meat. Why not? Everyone else can"

"Ugh, not this again!"

xxXXxx

"I can't believe I got stuck with babysitting duty." Lilly grumbled as Red trudged through the trees behind her. She was making a horrible racket –humans were so loud!—and was scaring off any game that was in the near vicinity, so Lilly didn't even bother looking for food to hunt down. No, they were out here because the human was picky and needed fruit and vegetables to eat.

The two were silent for a long time, each one equally unhappy with the arrangements. Lilly hadn't known that when she had agreed to teach Red a few things that it meant she had to keep an eye on her as well. The whole reason for her to have Guards was so that they could keep an eye on her. It shouldn't even be her job to look after Red, but here she was, trying to find the human some food. Red had obviously wanted Vilkas to come with her instead of his temperamental sister, so she kept her feelings to herself, though it didn't take much to know that she was unhappy with the whole ordeal.

"Why couldn't Vilkas come?" She eventually asked after a few long minutes of traveling in silence.

"Because he has better things to do than watch over his pet." She snapped and Red flinched. The small amount of satisfaction she felt by doing that quickly evaporated when she saw the hurt that marred the girl's features. She sighed. "Look, I'm sorry okay? And I'm sorry for earlier too. You know, when I almost bit your head off? Anyway, Vilkas is our Alpha, and he has to make sure the Pack is running smoothly and that everyone is taken care of. Plus he has to take care of the mess some human on a killing spree is creating." There was a sudden misstep and Lilly glanced over her shoulder to see Red catch her balance.

"Sorry, I just tripped over a rock."

"Well, just be careful. There's a lot of uneven terrain up ahead and I don't know what to do if you sprain something." Red nodded solemnly and the two descended back into silence. Though, now that it had been broken, Lilly felt like they had to keep talking.

"So, do you accept my apologies or what?"

"Oh, y-yeah! Sorry, my mind had gone elsewhere."

"Oh? Where is that?" There was a long pause before she gave an answer.

"Just on my future here. You and Vilkas are the only ones that seem to like me. Or..atleast tolerate me." She amended. Lilly smiled.

"You poor Pup, feeling sorry for yourself. Buck up! There's nothing to be scared about. You got the Mark of the Alpha on you. Weren't you listening? No one can harm you, and if they do, poof! They're gone from the Pack. No one is going to risk that, especially with the mess going on in Adenhale. A lot of humans are getting killed and people are blaming the Wolves, and no one wants to be without the Pack at such a critical time. United, we stand strong. When alone, you have a higher chance of being killed." Red had to smile. Put like that it was hard to feel scared, but all the hatred she saw in a lot of the wolves eyes was unsettling.

"How do I get on their good sides?" She asked suddenly. Lilly didn't have to even ask what she had meant. It was pretty obvious.

"Just don't be a burden, follow the rules, find a role in our Pack…common sense little Pup. If you make yourself useful, others will forget that you're so different."

"But I am different! How am I supposed to do things that others can't?" Lilly shrugged.

"Oh I have no idea, but you just need to think of something. Use that brain of yours! I can't tell ya everything!" Red grumbled at herself. This was getting nowhere.

They eventually reached some bushes that provided the fruits that she needed. Raspberries and blackberries were everywhere and Red was happy to pick as many as she could carry, along with the nuts on the forest floor that she had found on the way. It was enough to last her a couple of days, but she knew that if she didn't think of a way to live off the meat that they were bringing back to the Dens, she would continue to be a burden, something Lilly had warned her against.

Making it back to the Densite, Lilly made her way to the fresh carcass still sitting in the center and grabbed herself a few chunks before plopping down next to the girl. They both ate in silence, and even though it was gross to watch, Red was glad for the company. She had feared that she would have to eat alone on her first day here, and even with Lilly's assurances she didn't feel safe among wolves that could eat her if they wanted to.

"So what was Vilkas trying to teach you this morning?" Lilly asked when they were finished.

"Oh, something about Ranks." Lilly snorted. "That's a little complex. Did he atleast tell you what they were?" Silence. Lilly sighed. "Okay, then I'll start from the top. There's the Alpha, which is Vilkas. Normally there are two Alphas, one being Fae—"

"What's a Fae?" Lilly blinked.

"Er, it's another word we use for female. Brute is commonly used for males." Red snickered. "What?"

"Well, it's just that we use the word brute to describe our males when they are being particularly stupid or primitive." Lilly laughed.

"Well, our Brutes can definitely act the same way." The two shared another laugh together before the Fae continued. "So, there can be two Alphas, but that doesn't happen til the current Alpha chooses a mate. Alphas are our leaders and serve as our voice of reason in our Pack. We look to them for guidance and as role models. They were never to be disobeyed unless under the direst of circumstances, and even then there are consequences. Then there are Betas. They are the second in command so to speak, and offer a second opinion when our Alpha is being obtuse." Clearly she had meant the jab to be aimed at her brother and Red giggled again. "Again, there can be two Betas, but one has to choose the mate in order to obtain that Rank."

"So, when someone becomes a…mate to another wolf, they obtain that rank?"

"Precisely. Usually this rule applies to the females, but it can be the other way around to. Right now, I'm an Upsilon, but if Darien decided to take me as his mate, I would become a Beta as well." Red gave her a knowing look at the choice of an example and Lilly felt her ears tinge in her embarrassment. "It was just an example!" She growled in defense and Red just smiled and gestured for her to continue, allowing the Fae to save face.

"Anyway…after the Betas are the Zetas. They are the warriors of the Pack. They fight and protect our borders. They are usually the brawny ones that strut around the Pack with haughty attitudes and think they are too good for anyone. After them are Sigmas. These guys are the Scouts. They keep an eye on our borders and make sure that no one hostile is trying to trespass into our territory. They're basically the eyes and ears of our Pack. Deltas are the hunters. They are the reason why we have that big, juicy buck over there. Lets see…there's also the Gammas. They are usually responsible for keeping the peace in general and handling the new members of the Pack to make sure they get all nice and settled."

"Then are you a Gamma?"

"No silly, I'm an Upsilon. Weren't you listening? Am I wasting my breath here?"

"Well, I just thought…since you said…well I'm new!"

"Yes, but you are also not a wolf. And like you said earlier, people aren't really liking you being here right now, so you're stuck with me till a real Gamma wants to come and talk to you."

"Oh, but that's okay! I like talking with you!" Lilly chuckled and kept going.

"Now, with all of those that I mentioned, they're broken off into two groups. The Elite, and the Guard. Now, of course the Alphas are considered Elite, as are the Betas and Gammas, but to be Elite is to be considered the head of things. So in order to be an Elite Zeta, Delta, or Sigma, you have to be the best. If you're not an Elite, then you are part of the Guard. Which is a rank higher than the regular pack members."

"So not everyone has a rank?"

"Well, technically, everyone does. A pack member is a rank, but there just isn't an assigned job to it."

"Oh, so it's like being a civilian!" She received a blank look from Lilly. "You're just normal?"

"Er..precisely. Well, then there are the healers of the Pack. These guys are the Kappas. We come to them if we get hurt or come down with a cold. Then you have the Upsilons! And you're looking at the best one by the way. They are the teachers of the Pack and are responsible for the young ones when momma's too busy doing other things."

"So you're a glorified babysitter?"

"Hey! That's not nice!"

"So, it's true?" A soft grumble was her response and Red grinned. Yeah, she liked Lilly. The she-wolf coughed before moving on.

"You have the Epsilons and the Iotas. Now these are where the youngins end up after they are Pups. You're still considered a Pup, but once you learn the basics of the Pack and the hierarchy then you would be an Iota. If you were a wolf anyway, because then you would also know how to hunt and obtain your own food. Now Epsilons are Iotas that are training to be part of the Guard-which, if you recall, are the Sigmas, Deltas, or Zetas. There's a whole ceremony and everything, but we'll get into that later. Then there are the Pack Members that I mentioned earlier, then there are Psi and the Omega. Now, a Psi is considered a 'demoted' status. If someone did something wrong then they are stripped of their rank and given this one. It's very dishonorable and you have to prove yourself to get out of it. And if you don't…well, you're either chased off or killed. Omegas are the lowest of the low and get the last of everything, the last to eat or pick a spot to sleep. They aren't treated very well either. It's…not a rank you want to have." Red, alarmed, spoke up.

"Well then how do I get out of it?" Lily wrinkled her nose and Red's heart sank. It was going to be another indirect answer.

"Like it or not, you're a special case Red. I don't know if you'll ever be out of that Rank. You're going to have to prove yourself…and it's gonna have to be big. Until then, I guess ask around and see if you can take a stab at any of the other ranks here."

"Well, what about an Upsilon? That sounds easy enough." Lilly gave her a dry look.

"Thanks for that."

"Oh…oh! I'm not saying that it's not particularly hard or anything…"

"Yeah, yeah, save it. Anyway, I would avoid that. The rest of the Pack doesn't even want you here let alone messing with the future of our kind. I would avoid that route." Red looked positively miserable at this news and Lilly scrambled to try and think of something. She couldn't be a Delta. Her romping through the forest was proof enough of that. She would never be stealthy enough to catch game let alone try and kill something. There was no way she could be a Sigma either. Her scent was just too noticeable, and a Zeta was out of the question. Lilly shook her head.

"I don't know Red, but we're gonna have to come up with something." Red smiled at the word 'we.' It was nice to know that Lilly was already so fond of her. Maybe making friends wouldn't be so hard.

"Well, I know that was a lot of information to digest all at once, so how about we go take a break and pester Vilkas? I doubt he's doing anything important?" The two girls beamed at each other before setting off to find the poor Alpha who would soon be subjected to their mischief.


	5. Ill Tidings

Three weeks had passed and the tension around the Densite gradually decreased with each dawn. Slowly but surely the others were getting used to Red walking among their ranks. No one trusted her quite yet, other than Lilly or Vilkas, but it was better than open growls and snarls of hostility. The looks of utter hatred seemed to bother the young woman, and Vilkas couldn't blame her. To be around creatures that loathed her very existence had to be very hard on her. She, for the most part, kept to herself and under the radar. Her technique seemed to be working. Now barely anyone spared her a glance. Unless they thought she was doing anything suspicious.

His fellow Packmates still refused to let her go off on her own, insisting that she have a wolf to escort her. Lilly eventually was knocked off that list because of her increasing friendliness towards the human. They had obviously bonded, for reasons unknown to Villkas, and the others were not comfortable having the two around each other anymore. Even though Lilly was a trusted Pack member, Red was not, and they believed she would turn Lilly against them. Lilly had responded negatively to such rumors, sticking up for her new found friend.

"Do you have no faith?" She had snarled at her higher ups, clearly offended that they would take her for such a fool. "I would never turn on my own! I'm just trying to make the human feel welcome for a change!" The Elders would not have it though. They refused to let Lilly take Red anywhere, and Vilkas could not persuade those old dogs. They were too set in their ways, too suspicious of the human who reeked of blood and gore.

A lot of wolves still grumbled about Red's arrival. Why had she arrived so suddenly? Taking in a human among wolves was unheard of. It had never been done. Why had their Alpha offered shelter to this girl? What made her so special? Many thought he had a soft spot for the young woman and Vilkas, no matter how vehemently he denied it, could not blame them. He often found excuses to be around her, to show her around the Den site and introduce her to wolves he knew would at least be civil towards her. He tried to learn more about her, even if she wasn't that forthcoming with information. The hesitance he found strange. She had been so open before, but Vilkas did not press. He was keeping his own secrets after all.

One day, Red came up to him and placed a delicate hand on his flank. Surprised at the sudden contact, he nearly jumped out of his skin. His reaction earned a soft giggle from the girl that made him grin.

"What is it that you want, Little Red Hood?" She rolled her eyes at the endearing name, but let it slide.

"I'm out of food again." This was unfortunately becoming a common occurrence. Red, with her insistence to not eat red meat, meant that foraging for food was her only option. Her 'chaperones' –i.e. her Guards for the day—were getting tired of the almost daily excursions out into the forest. Many grumbled that the human should either learn to eat meat or starve. They complained that too many of their forces were being used to maintain this girl, something they couldn't afford with the humans still on high alert for their wolf killer. With the humans getting closer and closer to their new den site, his Pack was becoming restless. They had every right to be, and Vilkas agreed. Something would have to be done and soon, and he would think of a solution…as soon as he had time.

"Oh? Well what am I supposed to do about it?" He responded a bit gruffly, his eyes looking for her tag along for the day. Misere was no where to be found though, undoubtedly glad to be rid of the human's company by putting the responsibility on someone else.. He growled softly. Such careless abandonment of orders would have to be addressed soon as well. Anything regarding Red seemed to be viewed as 'optional,' duties that could be traded if one didn't wish to deal with them that day.

"I was hoping you could take me out on a hunt."

His ears perked up and his whiskers seemed to lift in surprise. "A hunt?" He echoed, dumbfounded. The Alpha looked at the human girl closely, trying to detect any hint of a lie in her sweat glands or heart rate. He found nothing of the sort. All of her sincerity was there…she was telling the truth. This was both mystifying and terrifying. The mystery part was obvious. Why did she want to go on a hunt with him? What would she gain from this experience? He had no idea, but…if she did go and learned to take care of herself, it would provide a rather convenient solution to this foraging problem. However, the fact remained that Red was still just human and the game here was rather large. It would be dangerous for her to go and, to any other wolf present, she would be in the way.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Red." He said briskly and was about to offer an alternative task to do instead to at least keep her occupied, but the look on Red's face stopped him from even attempting. Her features were set in fierce determination and Vilkas had a sinking feeling that she wouldn't let this go.

"I want to go." She repeated simply, as if that gave her all of the justification in the world, dangers for herself and others completely irrelevant to her whims. Vilkas stared at her for a moment, an unsettling feeling forming at the pit of his stomach. He knew that look. He had seen it upon his sister's face many times. It was a look that said she would rather act and ask for forgiveness later rather than wait for his permission. The expression forced Vilkas to have to look at the problem at a different angle, and instead of justifiable reasons to throw back at her, Vilkas was met with a rather irrational fear. He had tried his hardest to shelter Red from the more brutal parts of this new world she had been forced to join. If she went on this hunt she would be exposed to the most glorified part of their lifestyle: predator and prey. His Pack contained some of the most civilized wolves he had ever had the pleasure to meet, but they needed meat like anyone else, and in order to acquire that meat required a messy process that he did not want Red to be a part of. She stood before him as a fierce angel of innocence, ignorant of the laws of Nature. Red had to kill out of necessity to stay alive, but it was made clear that she took no pleasure in it. Vilkas could not say the same. He enjoyed the hunt, the chase, and especially the kill. Everyone here did, and until Red was Turned, she should be sheltered from it.

"Red, you cannot."

"Why? Is it because I'm human?" She persisted, her bright, blue eyes large in their accusation hidden in her words.

"No, that's not it." Vilkas was beginning to get exasperated, but more at himself. Was he being unreasonable here? Red might be months away from being Turned, but he himself had made it clear. She was Pack. She was part of their lives now, and if she wanted to go hunt, who was he to deny it? This was her life now. Maybe it was time for him to face that fact. Still, she was just so tiny and frail…couldn't she see that he was trying to protect her?

"Then why not? I think I'm perfectly capable of obtaining some food if you would just let me go!" He gave a warning growl when she raised her voice at him, but she refused to back down. Her blue eyes glittered with anger and a shred of hurt. Vilkas felt a flicker of surprise blossom in his chest. He had hurt her? But how? Had he said something wrong? Was it because she thought he doubted her capabilities? That wasn't it at all! There was that unsettling feeling again and Vilkas had to look away as realization dawned on him.

He didn't want that open trust in her eyes to die. He didn't want her to look at him with fear and disgust like all the other humans did.

He didn't want her to look at him like he was a monster.

"Why is this so important to you?" He finally asked after a long pause, the silence heavy between them. Red, seeing that he wasn't brushing her off, seemed to deflate, the tense anger draining out of her. It was kind of funny, with all that ferocity in her eyes she had seemed so much bigger, but with all of her insecurities returning, Red seemed so much smaller. Delicate, even.

"Because….Lilly said that I shouldn't be a burden to anyone, but that's all I'm being when I have to go get more fruits and nuts every day. I…I need to show that I can take care of myself…so, I'm," She paused and swallowed hard, keeping her eyes hidden from him. "I'm begging you. Let me go on a hunt with you." She lowered her voice to a whisper so others couldn't overhear, a pointless endeavor when surrounded by those with heightened senses. Thankfully no one was around to hear her next statement, so it didn't matter. "You know what I can do with a knife. You saw that for yourself. I can do this." She finally looked up at him and Vilkas saw that determination again one more time. The fierce angel was back with a vengeance, unwilling to back down. The Alpha sighed.

"You're not going to leave this alone, are you?" She shook her head and Vilkas then did the same, though for a different reason.

"Fine, Little Red Riding Hood, I will finish my rounds and then we will go on this excursion of yours. Once you locate Misere, meet me at the entrance to the Den Site." A glorious smile spread across Red's face and she gave an eager nod before darting off to find her chaperone. He shook his head at the sight and wondered for the first time if Red had in fact given Misere the slip to come speak to Vilkas. Red probably hadn't wanted the she-wolf to hear what her plans for the day were. Either way, Vilkas was going to have to speak to Misere. Red had been on her own, something that was unacceptable with how edgy the Pack was currently. Now it was more for her own safety rather than Pack protection for as the humans drew closer the more hostile some became towards Red, as if she were the reason for their problems.

Vilkas couldn't say they were wrong.

xxXXxx

An hour later he wandered back to the entrance of the Densite where Red and Misere were waiting. Misere, predictably, rolled onto her back to expose her abdomen the instant she saw Vilkas, her ear pinned and tail tucked.

"I am sorry Vilkas. I did not mean to lose track of the human. It will not happen again. Please forgive me." The Fae whined softly, her eyes respectfully averted as she stretched her neck outward in submission. Vilkas paused long enough for Misere to squirm anxiously before urging her to her feet.

"Remember your duties next time Misere. You're not just following her around and keeping her company. You are tasked to keep an eye on Red and keep any harm from befalling her. The next time you slip up I will not be so lenient." Misere nodded quickly, her face showing relief. Red looked guiltily at Misere, only reconfirming Vilkas's earlier suspicions. She had somehow escaped Misere's watchful eye. Interesting. Maybe he wasn't giving her enough credit. "Dismissed. I will take over from here." The Fae nodded once more before darting off and leaving Vilkas alone with Red. She was still avoiding his gaze, so the wolf blew a puff of air in her face. Startled, Red gave him a wide-eyed look.

"You are not to go sneaking off to talk to me ever again. Are we clear?" Red let out a small squeak of surprise at being caught but otherwise said nothing. "As with Misere, I will be lenient this time. It's dangerous for you to be wandering around on your own. Not everyone likes you being here, Little Red Hood. You need to remember that." Struck with inspiration, he realized this hunt might have been a good idea after all. Red needed a reminder that she wasn't among those fluffy vermin the humans called dogs. She was in the wild, and the wild brought wild animals who often struck at the mildest provocation.

Without warning, the Alpha shot forward and gripped his teeth around Red's hood. The girl only had enough time to let out another surprised squeak before she was flung over his shoulder and onto his back. Her legs were barely long enough to grip his sides and her hands fumbled for a hold in his fur before Vilkas darted off into the woods at full speed. She screamed at the suddenness of it all and Vilkas had to bite back a laugh. This wasn't even a fraction of what he could do. It was a good reminder to Red that she was out of her element here, no matter how much she wanted to be a part of it.

Red finally managed to get a good grip on his fur and leaned forward, her eyes peeking over the wolf's head as he sped through the forest and full speed. The wind whipped through her hair as she struggled to hold on. Vilkas darted this way and that, testing her. She bobbed and weaved the terrain with ease, an ease Vilkas suspected had come from a lifetime of riding horses. However, he was no horse, and they were going to partake in something that took a little more skill than guiding a mindless animal down a path.

Eventually, the Alpha slowed down to a stop and remained still, scenting the air for any game that might be nearby. Red appreciated the break, taking the chance to uncurl her cramped fingers and stretch her screaming thighs.

"What are you looking for?" She asked and Vilkas tossed her an annoyed look. He wanted her to be quiet. Scowling, Red took the hint and remained so, looking around for…she didn't know what. Vilkas's ears swiveled one way and then the next as he tried to locate any far off sounds that might signal game in the area. Red didn't know how long they sat there, but suddenly, Vilkas was on the move again. He didn't tear through the forest like last time. If anything, he moved slowly, as if not to startle something. Red looked around once more to see if she would see where the Brute had riveted his attention, but to no avail. Her senses were not strong enough so all she could do was wait.

Vilkas, however, knew exactly where he was going. He had scented a heard of moose nearby and that several others of his Pack were close by. A gray wolf with black markings dotting his face seemed to materialize by his side. It was Farr, Neer's brother, the Elite Delta of the Pack. He was glad to see his Alpha partake in a Hunt, but gave a questioning look to the human on his back. Vilkas shook his head and Farr nodded brusquely, knowing that it would be explained to him later. The Delta tossed his head in several directions, to the north, west, and south west. With this new information, Vilkas scented the air once more and could tell that two wolves were at the west, and one wolf each placed north and south west. Vilkas looked to the East.

To the East there was a large dip in the earth, carved away by a river that had dried up long ago. Normally, the moose would avoid it, but with wolves charging at them from all sides but East, the mindless beasts would have no choice but to run in that direction. Not all of them would make the jump, and the ones that fell victim to the trap would be easy prey. Vilkas nodded his approval and Farr bowed his head, allowing his Alpha to signal the start of the hunt.

Red watched the exchange in silence and wondered what was transpiring before her very eyes. The two wolves seemed to be interlocked in some conversation, exchanging various huffs and grunts that made no sense to her. At one point the new wolf had started throwing his head around. Obviously some sort of message was being relayed, but she had no idea what. She sighed softly and waited. The new wolf then bowed his head and, sensing Vilkas tense beneath her, Red did the same, curling her legs tightly around his flanks and holding onto the fur by his neck in a death grip. She couldn't help but release an excited grin. This was going to be fun.

Vilkas threw his head back and howled, and like bullets from a chamber, the wolves from the West shot out first. The fangle, too distracted by the sudden howl, didn't notice the wolves sprinting towards them till they were almost ontop of them. The herd scrambled into action though, especially when the other four wolves revealed themselves as part of the chase.

Moose are huge animals, easily towering over six feet and weighing about 1100 pounds. They were monstrous, as such they were formidable prey. The extra wolves were a precaution, for even a well-measured kick could kill the werewolves if they were not careful. The wolves flanked the fangle of moose, snarling, growling, and nipping to keep the creatures in line and in the direction they wanted them to go. Vilkas, sensing his chance, leaped onto the nearest moose. It was a small Cow, probably just reaching adulthood, and it would never see the light of day again. Two wolves fell back to help their leader while the others continued to herd the fangle towards the dip in the earth. Red, screaming for dear life, was quickly, and violently, thrown off. The wolves paid the girl no notice though and she could only scramble out of the way and watch in fear as they tore the animal down efficiently and methodically. Vilkas, still on top, held onto the creature's spine while viciously clawing its flanks, leaving deep and terrible gashes. The other two leaped and clamped down on various vital points: The neck, the belly, the upper legs, anything to cripple the beast. Three against one was too much for the creature though and it eventually succumbed to the violent onslaught of the massive wolves. Once it hit the ground, Vilkas leaped off and took his claim for the kill by ripping out the throat.

Blood dripping from his maw, the Alpha howled his triumph for all to hear. A chorus of howls answered from the East and Vilkas grinned. Farr and his Deltas had been successful as well. His Pack would dine well tonight. It was then that Vilkas remembered the girl. She now stood only a few feet away, armed with a small dagger. The very same that he had seen her using a week ago. He bared his teeth at her scent of fear.

"What's the matter, little Red Hood? Scared of a little blood?" He mocked with a feral grin, the adrenaline and blood lust making him heady, when suddenly the knife flew through the air and landed with a solid, wet thunk into the beast behind him. The two wolves immediately snarled and moved to spring on the girl but Vilkas held them back with a growl. He leveled his eyes on Red for an explanation.

"It was still alive." Red hurriedly explained, but the young girl seemed distracted, like she had caught sight of something else other than the Cow's deadly maneuver. She gestured towards the animal and saw that it had indeed still lived, at least, until the knife had embedded itself in its heart. In just a split second more the young Cow would have gored Vilkas in the belly if Red had not intervened. The two Deltas grumbled, unable to hide their awe. Vilkas also moved to thank her, but saw that the woman was vanishing quickly through the trees. Puzzled, Vilkas watched her go.

"Are you just going to let her wander back?" One of them asked. Vilkas nodded, suddenly tired.

"Red knows the way back. She can take care of herself." The two Deltas, unable to argue with the evidence that had just been given, helped their Alpha drag their kill back to the Densite while the other group did the same.

xxXXxx

Red did indeed know her way back, and she made use of that information now. Reaching the Densite, the young woman proceeded to build a small fire in order to cook her meat, having practiced and practiced for hours on end these past few weeks. Red was happy to finally find a solution for the constant foraging. Now she could eat meat whenever she got sick of fruit and nuts. Plus, it was better for her health. She hadn't been feeling as energized lately just eating vegetables. Red had needed this, and she couldn't wait for her next meal, her mouth salivating at the thought. The fire served an alternative purpose though.

While the others had been distracted by the hunt, Red had noticed something out of the corner of her eye. No, to be honest, it was someone. Someone she recognized. Red would know that bulky frame from anywhere, and if she had seen him, that could only mean one thing: Red had finally been summoned. This fire would allow her to send out smoke signals to set a meeting and time. Red felt nervous and excited at the idea of the summoning, eager to be away from all these nasty wolves but antsy about the report. She had virtually nothing to reveal about the Pack even though she had been here for almost a month. She worried about how the meeting would go, but when she saw movement at the edge of the Den Site, Red's stomach perished any other thoughts other than food.

Vilkas and his Deltas came back with their kills and everyone settled down to eat. However, Red quickly learned that her status came with a price. She was the last at everything, and that included meals. She mostly got the scraps, but that was no matter. It would be enough to fill her and serve its purpose. Away from the others, Red started her fire and cooked the meat, watching the small plume of smoke reach its black fingers to the sky. Red closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Three days. That was when they would meet.

xxXXxx

Three days later Red made her way through the forest with practiced ease. During her foraging with Lily, the young woman had made use of the excursions to learn her surroundings, even pretending to get lost so she could explore more. This part of the forest was now familiar to her, not as much as the one near her home ,but getting there. She wanted to keep exploring, but she had to be back soon, so Red had no time to waste. Ever since she had saved Vilkas from being gouged by that moose, the wolves had been especially tolerable of her existence. They even allowed her to get her own food now, but it wasn't enough. She couldn't be gone for long. Others were still keeping a close eye on her, watching her every move. Red had a long way to go before she earned anyone's trust.

She hurried through the trees, eventually reaching a small clearing where a pond sparkled in the late morning rays. Snow glistened on the ground and Red made a mental note to cover up her tracks when she leaved his place. Seeing that the clearing was empty, Red moved to the center of it and sat on a boulder, preparing for the wait.

She didn't have to wait long.

Wheezing reached her ears and Red looked up to see an old woman pushing through the foliage. A brown cloak masked her features, but she knew that hunched back from anywhere. "Grandmother!" Red was on her feet in an instant and rushed over to help the woman. The older female simply batted her away with mumbled curses before she finally came to a stop somewhat inside the clearing.

"I don't need your help you dim-witted girl! Now what is it that you have to report?" The old harpy demanded, lowering her hood, before being seized by a coughing fit. Despite the warning, Red brought her hacking grandmother to a large boulder to sit on until the coughs subsided. "Well?" Her grandmother demanded with a harsh glare between her loud coughs. Red felt her stomach knot uncomfortably at the request. It was the same feeling she had felt three days before: shame and regret. She had nothing to report to her Grandmother, something the old woman was not going to take lightly.

"Maja is no longer the Alpha of the Pack. I looked for her and it seems that now she is one of the Elders, a sort of ruling council over the Pack that offers advice to the Alpha. The new presiding Alpha is Vilkas. Relatively new in his leadership, he's very brash and easy to anger. His only concern is his Pack, which he is all too eager to appease. This could be used against him in the long run." While Red had been talking, the young woman had been keeping a close eye on her grandmother. The wizened old woman was growing more irritated with each word that left her mouth, Red could easily tell that. Eager to please, much like Vilkas himself, she came a bit closer and spoke faster as if a quickly delivered report would smooth away her grandmother's scowl.

"A young wolf, Tumult, was killed just before my 'arrival,'which made adjusting rather difficult—"

"You foolish child!" The old woman interrupted, voice seething in anger as she brought her hand down across her granddaughter's cheek. Stunned, Red took a step back, cupping her stinging face with her own hand. "You were not supposed to summon me until you became one of their Own unless the need was dire. You are obviously well physically—if not mentally," The grandmother looked at Red's tears with scorn and the woman looked away, ashamed of her show of weakness. "To imagine I wasted all this time getting here to receive information I already know! You stupid girl! You never do anything right!" She snapped, muttering to herself how Simon would have done much better if he had been in Red's place.

At the mention of her brother's name, Red grew still. Her lips formed a tight line as she realized what had happened. That bastard had tricked her! He had told her, just before departing to act as bait, that in a month's time he would appear to let her know that Grandma had wanted a report of the ongoings. Despite receiving different instructions from her grandmother, Red had gone against her better judgement and listened to her conniving brother instead. Now look where it had gotten her! Grandmother had come expecting her to be Turned and ready to start the next phase of the plan, not for a measly report. Red gritted her teeth, but kept silent about Simon's meddling. He would get his just dues later, Red would make sure of that. Watching her grandmother simmer down to a muttering rant, Red tried to curry some favor by 'seeking' some of her grandmother's wisdom by asking for advice.

"I-I'm stuck, Grandmother. None of these Wolves favor me. How am I supposed to get on their good side if they don't even give me a chance?" The old woman clucked in her disappointment, moving to turn back the way she came.

"Silly girl! Your job isn't to make friends. It's to find out information. So what if they don't like you? That's not why you're there. Now figure out what I want and don't summon me until you have what I need!" A wave of anger crashed upon Red at her grandmother's insults as she watched the old woman shuffle away, but nonetheless, she bowed her head.

"Yes, Grandmother."

A/N: Sorry for going MIA guys! I hope that if I do still have any readers that the chapters are well worth the wait. If not, tell me why! I appreciate any thoughts, ideas, or just pure, old speculation. More to come! Please review! : )


	6. Choices

Vilkas lifted his head when Red made her way back into the Densite. The human girl had disappeared sometime that morning, as one of his scout's had dutifully reported. His wolves were nervous, and that was understandable. With the Full Moon drawing near, they were anxious that Red was now given the privilege of wandering around without a chaperone. To ease their worries, Vilkas had promised to handle this himself.

Dutifully, he rose up to his paws and padded over to the distraught looking woman. Her mind was obviously elsewhere, and she didn't notice his approach until her Alpha was directly in front of her. Startled, Red looked up at the Wolf before looking away. Vilkas's eyes narrowed at the suspicious behavior, noting her increased heart rate. She had been up to something, that much was clear.

"Have you been enjoying your stay here?" He asked instead, motioning for her to walk with him. Again, Red was caught off guard but she obediently followed, albeit nervously.

"I have to admit, it was rocky at first…" Vilkas nodded, staying silent as he waited for the rest of her confession. "…but I feel better now. Not accepted, but…I suppose tolerated would be a better word for how I feel." He nodded again as Red noticed that they were leaving the Den site again. She looked around, but whatever she was looking for seemed to satisfy her because the woman seemed to calm herself.

"It's going to be like that for awhile, Red. You, unfortunately, have centuries of animosity to undo between our two races. And to do that, you are going to have to abide by our rules." They continued to walk through the forest, Vilkas expertly weaving through the trees while Red stumbled behind him in the unfamiliar territory. What she didn't know was that he was tracking where Red had gone this morning, just not in the way she had taken. To her, they were just taking a walk in the forest to talk in private, but in reality, he was going to find out where she had wandered off to.

"But I have been following the rules!" Red protested angrily. Vilkas didn't even look her way.

"No, you have not. You know that you are only allowed to leave the Dens in search of food." Knowing what was coming, he continued to talk over Red's next protest. "I know I let you walk back to the Dens without an escort, but you had proven that you could take care of yourself that day, and honestly, we had more important things to do then make sure you didn't wander off." Like dragging their kills back to the Densite before they attracted scavengers. "And," he added coldly, "where would you go?" After all, it wasn't like the girl could just go home. Even Adenhale was out of the question. As they continued along the path, Vilkas kept a keen nose out for the scent that matched the one on Red's clothes. It was distinctly human, a fact that caused anger to stir within his breast. The rules had been clear: Red was to give up her old life for the new, and to forsake all human bonds in exchange for the Pack's. She had clearly not followed this simple instruction which not only put her at risk but also his Pack. She had brought a human dangerously close to their home and could have, in turn, revealed something that could have lead a suspicious human to stumble upon the frightening secret of what really dwelled in their woods.

They stepped into the clearing and Vilkas looked back at Red. He was just in time to see her blanch when she realized where they were at, but her face quickly became impassive to give nothing away. However, Vilkas didn't have patience this morning. After all he had done to keep her safe, to let her have a home, to give her food, this was how he had been repaid? He had saved her life and here she was, having secret rendezvous with some human, dangerously close to his Home. He had to nip this in the bud.

Now.

If this got out, that Red was still in contact with her own kind, his Packmates would chase her off without question and even as Alpha he would be powerless to stop it. The well-being of his Pack came first, something Red didn't seem to understand. She was fighting a losing battle, and if she kept stepping out of line she wouldn't be welcome anywhere.

Vilkas whirled around to face her, his head dropped low so his steely glare could meet her surprised blue eyes. His ears were pinned back, a snarl forming on his lips. "Who were you meeting here, Red?" He growled, but Red already had a steely glint of her own in her eyes. Looking at her, Vilkas knew that she wasn't going to talk anytime soon.

"Tell me, Red, who was here." He snarled again, this time letting the power of the command ooze into his voice. Red gave a glare of her own before she opened her mouth.

"My grandmother." She bit out as she tried to resist the blatant demand, but it was a losing battle. "She wanted to know where I was, and she found me here." Vilkas stepped closer to her, his snarling muzzle only inches away from her face. Red stood her ground though and didn't move.

"So you're telling me, that your Grandmother, a frail old woman, found you here when no other Human has ever, EVER, ventured this far into the forest?" Red's face grew hard and she finally looked away, her jaw set.

"She has her ways. It would be a mistake to underestimate her." Vilkas was startled by this information, instantly wary, but he didn't let it show.

"So how did she find you?"

"I don't know!" She cried, snapping her attention back at him. Her eyes were wide with anger, though if it was because she was upset with her grandmother's meeting or getting caught, Vilkas wasn't sure. All he knew was that Red's emotions were a jumbled mess. Vilkas raised his head, allowing his hostile demeanor to drop. He didn't believe that Red's grandmother had just stumbled upon her grandchild. He had seen several cases in his lifetime where victims of abuse wandered back to their abusers, something he had never understood. He assumed that this was a similar instance, but it still left in question how Red had even gotten her grandmother here. The whole situation was fishy, but it gave Vilkas the excuse he needed to decree the order that all of his Wolves wanted with the Full Moon drawing so close.

"Until we get to the bottom of this, you will remain inside your den. Food will be brought to you upon request, but you will not leave unless I decree it so." The command was clear and final and Red's eyes raged at the unfairness of it all. In actuality, Vilkas only planned on having the solitary confinement last until the Full Moon had passed. That way Red would not discover that she was in the company of Werewolves, creatures of Legend. She would remain blissfully unaware of the danger that she was truly in. Vilkas was just trying to keep her safe, even if the human woman didn't think so. "Come." He snapped, coldly, and Red trudged behind him back to the Den Site, gloomy over her fate.

xxXXxx

Banished to her Den, Vilkas thought it was finally safe enough to call a Gathering among the Elders and his Beta because, frankly, he wasn't sure what to do.

The night of the Full Moon was nearly upon them. On that night, all of the Werewolves would become human, a heavily guarded secret among their Kind. It was their greatest weapon as well as their greatest vulnerability. It gave them ability to hide among the humans and gather intel, but they were also incredibly weak in that form. It was dangerous for Red to discover this secret, for not only would it be an obvious link to them being Werewolves, but if she was, in fact, still meeting with her grandmother, two humans would be privy to that information, and that would be unacceptable. He would be forced to order their death, something he wanted desperately to avoid. However, with Red having the ability to wander around the Den site, that had put his wolves on edge. Now, with that obstacle taken care of, they had the problem to keep her from finding out.

Vilkas was honestly surprised that his Wolves had not made the connection that Red was involved with the murders of Adenhale. He thought that the jarring fact that Vilkas had allowed a human to join their Ranks had been enough to take their attention from the fact that she had shown up a month after Tumult's death. Even after that, Red's involvement in the murders had caused the humans to expand their search for the perpetrator in the forests where they had stumbled upon the young wolf. Tumult had died that night, something that would have never happened if Red had not been taking lives for her wicked grandmother.

With that in mind, Vilkas couldn't figure out why Red would willingly go meet with her grandmother when she had caused the woman so much grief, pain, and guilt. The old woman had kept her trapped in a vicious cycle of murder and violence, threatening to kill Red herself if she dared to disobey. Why go back? It just didn't make sense, and it forced Vilkas to think that Red might have a hidden agenda after all, which was problematic. She was not truly part of the Pack, which made her able to divulge Pack secrets. The Elders themselves were voicing these concerns when Darien finally spoke up.

"Why don't we just turn it into a Werewolf and be done?" His Beta asked. Vilkas, Darien, and the Elders were gathered in a small corner of the Densite. There were three Elders, two were male and one was female. The Fae, Maja, his predecessor as Alpha, was a honey brown with fine silver hairs lining her face and the ridge on her back. Despite her frailty, she was brimming with authority and the other two were no different. They were the twin brothers, Neer and Farr, indistinguishable when human but completely different in their normal forms. The bigger male, Neer, was a chestnut brown, and Farr was a pale white that had yellowed with age, his familiar black markings the only color marring the whiteness of his pelt. They were covered in scars, tributes to all the battles they had fought. The wisdom these three possessed was incredibly valuable, and Vilkas was grateful for their calming presence in these troubled times despite their differences.

"Red is not an 'it.'" Vilkas growled in warning, baring his teeth to remind his Beta who he was talking to. "Besides, we're trying to keep her from finding out about our existence, not letting her walk right into it."

"You mistake her innocence as naivety, Vilkas." Maja said softly, turning her sightless gaze on her Alpha. "She is intelligent and knows that we are not the same as the Lesser Wolves that share this forest with us. This…Red knows that we are different, and it is almost a matter of time before she starts asking questions we cannot answer." Vilkas looked away from Maja's piercing gaze, shamed by the truth. They could not keep this act up for long. Drastic measures would soon have to be taken, whether it be to reveal their secret or make Red a part of it. "I agree with Darien. She must be Turned."

"No! You know as well as I do that Turning that child would be as much as a curse as it is a blessing." Vilkas argued. The gathered wolves glanced at one another and Vilkas knew they were going to change tactics. They were determined to Turn Red, how could he change their minds?

"That may be true, but we cannot let a human walk free with such powerful knowledge." Maja replied sagely, her voice soft to try and soothe the irate Alpha. Vilkas looked to Neer and Farr. They were being strangely quiet, especially Neer, who had been extremely vocal at Red's initial arrival. What were they thinking?

"But she won't be free, necessarily. Red will not be roaming the forests freely anymore. She will be staying here at the Dens, correct?" Farr had spoken at last, referring to the revelation that Red would be remaining in the Dens due to suspicious behavior on her part. Vilkas could barely contain his relief, though he was still wary. He had been purposefully vague on why Red was to remain in her Den for the remainder of the week. If they questioned him on it, he would be forced to answer in some shape or form.

"And keep her prisoner here? How is this so called protection any better than her old life? She will be trapped in a place that she cannot leave of her own free will." Neer argued, his accusing gaze landing on Vilkas as his tail lashed behind him angrily. Curse that old Wolf. He was using Vilkas's own words against him. Maja, acting on the support of Neer, latched onto her fellow Elder's insight like it was a lifeline.

"And what will we do when she grows to resent us? Keep her guarded in a cave to make sure she does not reveal our existence to anyone? Her resentment will come at a price, and that is not a price you should be willing to pay." The accusation rang in the air and the atmosphere immediately became tense. She had not said it in so many words, but the accusation had been a challenge to Vilkas's authority, a questioning of his leadership. Blood pounded in Vilkas's ears as more primal instincts tried to take over, instincts that told him to force Maja to submit. Pin her to the ground and expose her weaknesses: her underside and throat. To make an example of her. Her audacity had to be punished, for no one should question the Alpha.

The two wolves locked eyes and two higher powers held a silent battle. Even though Maja was incredibly respected in the Pack, her rank now fell below the Alpha, which meant challenging the Alpha was a grave mistake. However, Maja was always one of strong opinion and was not afraid to speak her mind despite a difference in rank. She was als one of the few who had a right to challenge Vilkas for leaderhship for she was the previous Alpha. She could easily challenge him for her old positon if she felt that he was leading them poorly. It was a concept that Vilkas never remembered until the possibility of an ursurp in power rose to the surface. After a long moment, Maja inclined her head slightly in submission, the only sign she would ever give. Almost instantly the tense atmosphere evaporated. Maja had acquiesced and the challenge was dismissed.

"I am aware of the danger." Vilkas conceded respectfully, "But I want Turning her to be a last resort. We should not be deciding her fate for her. If she joins our ranks it will be because she wishes to." Maja and Neer looked furious but kept their protests to themselves. Vilkas knew this would not be the last he would hear of this, but their silence meant respect and that soothed the wolf inside him. The meeting was quickly adjourned after that and Vilkas padded off to go find their guest. However, he was quickly stopped by his sister Lilly, who had, against his wishes, been keeping a careful ear on the conversation.

"Why are you so against Turning the child, brother?" She asked softly when she was sure no one would hear them. Vilkas, shocked by the question, looked away for a moment before turning back to his sister, his eyes sad.

"Because the Turning should be a choice, Lilly. We were not given one all those years ago. I want to give Red that liberty." He turned away again, his eyes bitter. "Even if she doesn't deserve it."

"What do you mean, Vilkas?" Lilly asked hesitantly. The Alpha stopped walking and regarded his sister carefully. Among all of his wolves, Lilly was the one he trusted the most. After all, they were blood. That was something that would never change. He loved her dearly, and she could keep secrets, that much was certain. She was, in fact, keeping one right now, for she alone knew the real reason why Red was here.

She was the reason why Tumult was dead. That she was running from her Grandmother. That she was why the humans were in an uproar and searching the forest. Man wanted her dead.

"She met with her Grandmother today." Lily's ears shot up in alarm at the new information.

"But…why?"

"I have no idea, dear sister, but it is suspicious. I wonder why she really sought sanctuary with us." The two were troubled by the news and fell into an uneasy silence. The possibilities were devastating and Lilly realized just how much of this Vilkas was shouldering. She bumped his head with her own lightly before licking his cheek.

"Chin up, brother. We will get to the bottom of this. Right now, focus on keeping Red in the dark about what we are. That is the pressing problem. We will worry about this secret meeting later." Vilkas nodded slowly, mulling over his sister's advice before they parted ways.

xxXXxx

Maja could not believe her eyes –well, nose. She had lost her sight almost a century ago, which was no surprise. Her eyes had always been on the weak side, but her sense of smell, now that was another matter. During the meeting Maja had caught a whiff of a scent she had thought she would never encounter again: her sister's. It was the smell of leaves crushing beneath one's feet mixed with the dew of a misty morning and of moist earth. It was a scent Maja missed dearly, but the discovery had put her on edge, going as far as forgetting her place and challenging the new Alpha. Vilkas, that Pup. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into by saving that Girl, especially if her hunch was correct.

The older Fae gently padded through her home to the Den of the young female, Red. She was still getting used to the layout of their new home—they had to relocate due to the humans encroaching on their old land, but she found Darien's den with little difficulty. She heard rustling near the entrance and assumed it was the Guards standing watch. A quick sniff confirmed that and she gestured for them to go elsewhere. They obeyed their Elder without question, not only because she outranked them, but because they knew Red could not leave the Den with Maja there. Maja would be able to sniff her out before she tried any sort of escape.

"Young One," Maja began without any preamble. What she had come to do would be accomplished rather quickly. What she talked about mattered little, but that wouldn't stop her from trying to glean information from the human. "How is it that you come to be banished to this cave?" She asked sagely. Maja heard a rustling and swiveled her ears in that direction, her tail sweeping behind her slowly in her impatience. Red was quiet for a long time before she replied, her voice halting as she tried to fight off the magic coursing through her, forcing to obey and answer such a direct question.

"I disobeyed the rules that had been set for me here." The girl bit out and Maja tilted her head to acknowledge Red's efforts to avoid answering the question. It was a hard thing to do, something that was quite impressive for a human, especially one so young and perceptible.

"And what rules were those?"

"I left the Dens without a chaperone and met with my—a human. I met with another human, something I was forbidden to do." Maja resisted the strong urge to perk her ears as Red tried to cover her slip up. She had said 'my.' My what? Maja's eyes narrowed and she sighed, breathing in deeply as if in exasperation. As if Red had eluded her so easily.

"Fine, Young One, keep your secrets. Just know that secrets within a Pack are impossible to keep. You will be found out one day, whether it be today or several years down the road. You belong to Us now, and we hide nothing from one another. Forget this human you met in the Wood, for it will only bring you pain and sorrow." Maja, having what she needed, turned without another word, leaving a confused Red behind to wonder why she had received a visit from one of the most powerful wolves in the Pack.

Maja couldn't believe it. That human, that girl, Red….she was absolutely covered in her sister's scent. It was impossible! Her sister had—or Maja had thought that…the old Fae shook her head before immediately setting out for the Alpha. Normally, she wouldn't help the Pup. He was just growing into the role of being the leader of the Pack, and she tried not to guide him on certain paths from her own experiences. Vilkas had to learn how to be an Alpha on his own and make his own mistakes as much as it pained her to let him bumble through sometimes. Like with Tumult. The name still caused the old wolf to shudder. That poor Pup. He would still be alive if Vilkas hadn't been so stubborn about the humans, so certain that their worlds were separate and that the humans brought no danger to them.

Vilkas had to learn that any choice, even if it was to do nothing, would bring unforeseen consequences.

The death of Tumult had hit Vilkas hard, but now Maja was finding it hard to breathe under all this weight. If she had found out this information just a bit sooner, maybe, just maybe, Tumult's death could have been avoided. Those human lives could have been spared. Her family could have stayed in their old home. Her feet moved faster across the terrain as she caught wind of Vilkas's scent. She had to tell him, to make this right.

It was strange, having this weight back on her shoulders. Maja hadn't felt like this since her reign as Alpha when her choices affected the lives of everyone around her. She had not missed this feeling, this responsibility, at all. It was the real reason why she had retired so early, though she had claimed it was because of her failing eye sight.

"Vilkas!" Maja said in lieu of a greeting, finding her Alpha and settling down next to him. He had wandered back to his Dens to enjoy his meal in peace, but she felt no guilt for interrupting. This was too important to withhold. As customary, Vilkas offered his senior to dine first, but she politely declined, pushing onward. "I know who your Red has been meeting with." She informed him in a low tone to prevent being overheard. She felt him stiffen beside her in surprise, though she wasn't sure if it was in surprise or apprehension. Maja had a sinking feeling it was the latter, though it wasn't surprising. Only Vilkas was aware of the real reason why Red was staying here. Maja had never bought the sob story he had proposed to the Pack the day he had brought the young human into their world, not with all that was going on outside of it.

Maja took a deep breath. She might have given Red a spiel about keeping secrets in the Pack, but she was, in fact, about to reveal a very old one now. She was the only one who knew it, for everyone else that knew it had passed away long ago. "It's my sister, Vielle."

"Excuse me, who?" Vilkas asked, caught off guard once again. Maja took another deep breath and steeled herself for what was to come. It had been a long time since she had even mentioned her sister, let alone told her story.

"Vielle. She was –is—my sister. You see, I thought for all this time, after what had happened to her, that she was dead, but," Maja paused, her shoulders sagging from the weight of the truth. "Her scent was all over the human. Somehow, my sister is alive. It shouldn't be possible, but it's true." There was a long silence between the two wolves before Vilkas dared to speak up.

"What happened to her?" He asked quietly and Maja turned her head as if to look away in shame, but of course all she saw was darkness. It was funny how such habits, even when one cannot see, are ingrained in one's body despite the missing senses.

"Vielle was my older sister. She was supposed to become Alpha, and she would have been great. She was strong, loyal, kind, harsh when necessary, and calculating. She was formidable, but, one day she encountered a hunter. It was a close battle, for humans were more aware of our presence then and knew how to fight us. The human used silver against her and she almost died, but she held out and won, but took a life in doing so. After she tasted human blood…Vielle was never the same."

"We had established a Treaty with the humans at this time, those who were aware of our presence, that basically established that if we left them alone, they would leave us alone. This attack breached the sacred document, but when the situation was explained, Vielle was pardoned for her actions and the hunter's family had to endure the punishment in his stead since the guilty one was no longer on this Earth. We had thought that was the end of the dispute between our races and we would go back to living peacefully. That was not the case. Vielle, after her bout with the human hunter, craved nothing but human flesh, a fact she had shared with me alone. She pushed aside her duties to disappear for days, claiming to go on a hunt for bigger game, but I knew what she was really doing: hunting humans."

"The humans started to guess at foul play when many of their own began to turn up missing, so they sought us out once more. This time, however, they brought a small militia with them as a scare tactic. We realized then how formidable the human race had actually become against us. They had various weapons made of mercury and the purest of silver, and they had wolfsbane. I have no idea how they procured so much manpower or how they obtained that awful herb, but they were not in short supply, and they claimed this was only a fraction of the manpower they had against us."

"I-I had no choice. My home was at risk and my sister, the next Alpha in running, was the danger. I couldn't have Vielle lead the Pack when she was already causing so much danger. I gave her up, I told the humans where they could find her, for everyone knew, but under the conditions that they would bring her back to Us unharmed. The humans complied, for they were eager to hunt down the monster that had killed so many of their own." Maja's lip curled in disgust, though she wasn't sure if it was for the humans or for herself. The humans were so simple minded then, but she had given up her own sister. Even if it was for the safety of the Pack, Vielle had been family, and Maja had betrayed her. It was practically a death sentence, which made what she was about to tell Vilkas even more fitting.

"They brought Vielle back as promised. How, I will never know, but she was chained down and rightfully enraged. Her prey had outsmarted and trapped her, bringing her back to a home she no longer wanted to be a part of. She was too wild, too free, to be tied down by the Pack any longer. I could see that in her eyes when I saw her that day as she snarled and gnashed her teeth at anything that moved, whether it be friend or foe. The humans left then, their job done, but only with the promise that Vielle would be appropriately punished for her crimes."

"Even I could not kill my own sister, so I did the next best thing. As my first proclamation as Alpha I banished my sister into the wilderness and ripped her of her Rank. She was banished from her family and from the Pack. It was an ancient ceremony, something that hadn't been performed for centuries long before I was born. What happened after the ceremony had been lost from the stories, but we found out that day."

"Vielle, after being stripped from the Pack, lost her Were form and became what she preyed upon: human. Nothing more, nothing less. With her new, weak body she vanished into the woods and we never saw her again. She was young when we had performed the ceremony, as was I, but I still assumed that with her new human shape she would age just like they would. I was obviously wrong. She still ages like we do and has probably had to live out in the woods to hide her abnormalities."

"I have no idea if she has any other attributes besides a longer life span. She might be incredibly strong, have heightened senses…the possibilities are endless, but the fact remains that Vielle is still alive and this Red is in her thrall. Red is not who she appears to be, especially if she is working for my sister." Desperate, and filled with emotion, Maja turned imploring eyes onto her Alpha. "You have to Turn her, Vilkas. That's the only way we can be sure that Red will not leak any information and stop helping my sister. She will be compelled to protect what is her own and she will be part of Us. Please, you have to. It's the only way."

Vilkas was quiet for a long time and Maja slowed her breathing to regain her composure. The reappearance of her sister was a startling occurrence and it had caught her off guard. There was no way Vielle had anything good planned for her old Pack, not with the hatred Maja had seen in her sister the day she had been banished. Undoubtedly she had been biding her time and waiting for the most opportune time to strike, but why involve Red? How was she tied into this? There were too many questions and not enough answers.

"What is this?" Vilkas suddenly asked, his voice dangerously low. Maja turned her ears towards him, confused at the hostility she found in his tone. "Some elaborate scheme to try and Turn Red sooner? Did you really think I would fall for this?" Maja blinked, pulling her head back as if he had swiped her. A sliver of self-righteous rage began to bubble inside her breast as Vilkas continued to snarl in her direction. "I can't believe you would go to such lengths to try and get what you want. I thought you were placed on the Council to give me advice, not to rule as Alpha through me!"

"That's not what I'm doing, Alpha." Maja said through gritted teeth as another feeling surfaced inside her: hurt. She had taught Vilkas and guarded over him all these years, and when she came to him with a serious matter, she was just batted aside for some, some girl! "What I'm telling you is the truth. My sister, Vielle, is out there, probably planning some sort of elaborate plot. I have no idea what, but if you and I work together to—"

"Work together? Are you kidding me? How can we work together when you're so biased about Red in the first place? All you can think about is Turning her. Can't you see that I want to give her a choice? So many of us were just thrown into this life, Maja. I want her to have the option to have a home here whether she becomes a Were or not. You're ignoring other alternatives in your single-mindedness to get what you want—"

"My days as Alpha are over, Vilkas. I have no desire to rule in your stead, so please, believe me!" She interjected, alarmed at how this conversation had unraveled so quickly. Maja had to defend herself against this girl who had so easily captured Vilkas's fancy, maybe even his heart, for reasons that she could not understand. He wasn't seeing reason, refusing to see the dangers that were right under his nose.

"Believe you? Why? You come to me with some outlandish story about a sister I have never heard of, one that is conveniently banished and no one knows about, claiming that there's some elaborate conspiracy going on completely hinged on the existence of—of this Vielle character! Why has no one else come to me about this?" He demanded, fury in his own voice. Maja felt her lip curling at the incredulity of his voice, like she was being foolish. As if she were lying. Why would she lie about something as important as this? The safety of her Pack was in jeopardy! Can he see that she would do anything to protect them?

She betrayed her own blood to do so.

"I'm the oldest one in the Pack, Vilkas." She said slowly, as if speaking to an irate child. "Everyone else who knew of Vielle has died long ago."

"Again, a fact that is so convenient." He snapped, sarcasm dripping from his voice like acid. It dripped on her skin, making her feel hot as anger rushed through her senses. Who did this Pup think he was? Fine, if he didn't believe her, then she would prove him wrong!

"Fine. Don't believe me then." She huffed as Maja got to her feet. This conversation was going nowhere. He was too smitten with the idea of this girl, of being the protector he couldn't be for Tumult, that he could not see that she was indeed telling the truth, that Turning Red was a necessary evil.

Again, we were back to choices. Vilkas was choosing to ignore his Elder, one who had always been faithful to him, in favor of this girl who had walked into his life only a few measly weeks ago. He was choosing not to turn her despite possible evidence otherwise, even if it was circumstantial. He chose to do nothing with Tumult and he was choosing to do nothing now with Red. It seems like history was doomed to repeat itself.

"You will regret this, Vilkas. Remember, when everything starts to go awry that I warned you. Anything that happens beyond this point, any lives that are lost, they are on your head and yours alone, Alpha." She said coldly before leaving the Alpha to his meal.

xxXXxx

Maja had been prowling the forest for days, looking for any trace of her sister's scent. She had found the clearing where the human girl had met with Vielle, but her scent seemed to vanish, though Maja had no doubt it was because the old croon was smart enough to trek through the creek, effectively washing away what little trail was left to track. Maja was patient though, and slowly widened her search. She left no stone unturned as she prowled the forest, stopping only for food and sleep.

Eventually, her patience was reward.

It had been five days since she had started her hunt, and the night of the full moon was only a few days away. She wondered what Vilkas was going to do with Red. Was she to be banished to her Den until the full moon was over? It was such a silly way to keep Red from finding out a secret. What was to keep her from looking outside the Den? Nevertheless, the keeping of the human was not her problem, that had been made perfectly clear in her last conversation with Vilkas.

Vilkas. How foolish he was being. Any danger that surrounded Red seemed to be swept under the rug, dismissed just as quickly as it was brought to his attention. Maja feared the worst for her Pack, but she was out here to right the wrong she had made with her negligence of sharing such an old secret. Funny, how he had never asked why she had kept such information to herself. Of course, that had not been important at the time. His precious Red was being scrutinized, that was what had mattered, and just like everything else concerning her, Maja had been brushed aside. It had stung, as if all their years together had meant nothing. She even thought of Vilkas as a son!

Maja shook her head at the absurdity of it all. Whatever spell Red had over Vilkas it was a powerful one. The old Fae harrumphed and pushed her thoughts away. She had been left alone with them for too long and others were creeping in, like the reunion of with her sister and what she must do to keep her Pack safe. What she should have done all those years ago.

The irony was not lost on her. Vielle had been banished for doing the exact thing that she was doing: hunting humans. Maja had to remind herself that Vielle was only a human by appearance, but she had the mind and instincts of a Were. She had no doubt that her sister was just as cunning as she was when she was able to Shift, Maja could not forget that, for that would be her downfall in this encounter.

Maja's ears perked when she finally found what she was looking for. It was faint, but her hurried footsteps rang throughout the silent terrain as she followed Vielle's scent. It grew stronger with each step and her heart pattered painfully in her chest at what was to become of this meeting. Vielle would be dying today, by her own sister's claw no less. The prospect almost kept Maja from going forward, but she raised her head high and faced it head on. If this was what she had to do, then she would do it.

By the shift in the winds, Maja could tell she had entered a small patch of open land, probably a meadow by how tall stems were brushing against her underside. Vielle's scent prevailed here and Maja quickly found its source. However, when she got closer, she caught a whiff of something else.

Not something. Someone.

Maja's step slowed as she proceeded cautiously, for once wishing she had not lost her eyesight so long ago. If she could see, she could easily tell who was before her. She had been spoiled in her sightless life, forever being surrounded by those she knew and loved. "Vielle," She called out, for her sister would have known she was here before she had even entered the clearing, "Is that you?" Her heart hammered inside her breast as a sense of wrongness settled in her gut. The mighty and proud Maja began to back away as the flight instinct slowly took over.

A dark rumble erupted in the silence that followed, and Maja knew immediately that this was not Vielle. The sound was distinctly male. "No, Maja. It is not Vielle here today," Footsteps. Maja began to back pedal faster, her ears pinned to her head and her teeth bared as she looked around in vain to pinpoint the source as an eery panic settled in, but all she saw was darkness. "But she knew you would be here." The sound of metal dragging against the ground startled Maja out of her reverie and gave her the power to move, but it was too late.

The last thing Maja heard was the sickening swick of an axe slicing through the air before her world truly went black.


	7. The Ceremony

Maja's body was discovered two days later. The instant her life had been taken the whole entire Pack felt it. The magic that bound them all together burned through the Wolves like fire as the link that led to Maja was extinguished forever . All that was left was an empty void that pulsed angrily within them, reminding them with each step, with each heartbeat, that dear Maja was gone from this world.

The effect was immediate. Wolves stopped what they were doing and took off into the forest to find their fallen comrade. They scoured the forest high and low, following the scent trails that Maja had left, and were amazed at how far the old Fae had traveled. She had gone deep into the forest, close to the mountains that used to loom far ahead over their home. Now, they towered over the wolves, casting them in the shades of a dying drizzle when they discovered Maja's corpse.

The body had long since stiffened and the smell of death clung in the air as the wolves circled what once was the great Maja. Many looked away, appalled at what had happened to their dear friend. Her head had been severed completely from her body, having rolled a few feet away. Maja's lifeless eyes stared back at her own body, a look of horror on the wolf's face as if she had to watch the mutilation that occurred after her head had been severed. She had been quartered, a carnal human practice that involved cutting one open from sternum to naval and pulling out the intestines in a gore-ish display of domination. Who could have done this? Despite Maja's handicap, she had still been a formidable foe. Who had bested her? And what everyone wanted to know most of all…

Why had she been out here in the first place?

Questioning and angry eyes turned to their Alpha and Vilkas could only look upon the scene with sorrow. Maja's demise…that had been his doing. He had failed to heed her words, true or not, and she had journeyed into the unknown. Why? Probably to bring some sort of proof to make Vilkas believe. He swallowed past the lump in his throat as he looked upon Maja's desecrated body and pushed back the waves the guilt that were crashing upon him. How he wished he would have just simply believed Maja, or at least humored her, to prevent her to keep her from doing something so reckless. Instead, he had thrown everything back in her face and called her a liar, accusing her of trying to steal his position away from him.

What a fool he had been.

Now Maja was dead, bringing her last words for him to life. Maja's death was on his shoulders for he had failed to listen. The weight almost brought him to his knees, but he managed to stay on his feet as he addressed his Pack. One by one they had all trickled into the tiny Meadow that had claimed Maja's life and prepared to say goodbye.

"Maja was a great Alpha and an even better Wolf," Vilkas began slowly, his voice thick with emotion. "Mourn, brothers and sisters, for this great loss we have suffered. This whole Pack is alive andwell because of all that Maja has done for us. Whoever has done this, whoever dared to take her away from us before it was her time, they will pay and they will pay dearly. Until then, say your farewells, but know that they are only temporary until we ourselves take our place among the stars like our beautiful Maja has done." Vilkas then stepped forward first, as was his right. He stood over Maja's rigid form and trembled in his effort to keep from weeping. He wanted this horrible nightmare to end, for Maja to grumble at him for sleeping in again when he made his morning rounds, but he knew that would never happen again.

"I suppose an 'I told you so,' is in order," Vilkas laughed humorlessly, the bitterness he felt so strong that it soured his tongue "but you're not here to give it. I wish you were though. I would give anything for that. I…have no idea what I am going to do without you, but I will strive to make you proud of the Wolf you raised when no one would. Enjoy your run in the stars, Maja, until we meet again in Luna's embrace." He lightly touched his nose with her fur and backed away for others to do their farewells. When everyone had said their peace, they left Maja's body where it lay, the rain beating down hard against the ones forced to live on without her.

xxXXxx

By the time the Pack had returned home the whispers had started. What was Maja doing all the way out there? Who had killed her? And most importantly..

What were they going to do about it?

An angry Pack met Vilkas that night as they demanded retribution for Maja's death.

"We can't be sure it was murder." Vilkas argued weakly, knowing how this argument was going to end. The moment they had found Maja's body the Alpha knew that when one life ended, another's fate was sealed.

"How can you even deny it?" A shrill voice cried, filled to the brim with anguish. "The head was severed from the body, Vilkas! What else could it be?"

"Are you going to let this go?"

"What are we going to do?"

"Could it be an animal attack?"

"Nonsense! It was obviously human work."

Once the word human fell on his Pack's ears it was like a fuse had been lit. Slowly but steadily panic began to build and build until it exploded, causing his fellow packmates to reach a level of hysteria that he had not seen in a long time. Everyone was pointing fingers and blaming others, but eventually, after Vilkas managed to calm the mass down, they seemed to remember that they had a human among their ranks.

"That human girl, Red, is here."

"What have we done with her?"

"No, not that. What are we going to do to her? Maja obviously died because of her."

"I think you're onto something. The humans have gotten even closer. I think she's feeding them information."

"Didn't she sneak off the other day?"

Vilkas watched his Packmates with sad eyes as again Maja's words rang through his ears. Turning Red was the only way, that much was clear. The Elder's death had caused an uproar among his family and the only way they could be sated, to feel safe, would be for Red to become a werewolf. She would be truly part of the Pack then, bound by the same laws as they were. They believed this would solve all of their problems, that the humans would just go away once Red was Turned, but Vilkas knew better. The humans wouldn't stop, not until they had their killer, but now his wolves were worried about a Wolf Hunter. There hadn't been Hunters in centuries, but there was no doubt that Maja had been killed by a crude execution style. She had also been a message: Maja would not be the last to fall. There would be more killings, more lives lost, and Vilkas couldn't allow that. To keep his Pack safe they needed to be on their guard, not worrying about a human girl that could leak information out to the masses and tip the scales in her favor. No, they needed to be in a sound state of mind, and that meant Red was to become one of them.

Plus, he would need all of the able bodies he could get.

"My friends," Vilkas shouted over the crowd and the wolves, after some urging, settled down to listen to their Alpha. "I understand your concerns. All evidence points to a Hunter being on the loose, a phenomena we haven't seen since Maja's reign as Alpha. It is a frightening prospect, but it is one we have to prepare for. We must stand together to face this new foe and not let the fear of the unknown make us stand apart, for then we will be weak." He looked across the sea of faces that peered back at him. Moments like these reminded Vilkas that his choices, big or small, affected those around him. The weight of that responsibility pressed down onto his shoulders and Vilkas vowed to protect every single member of his Pack that night, for they deserved nothing less. He would lose no more lives, not if he could help it. "The night of the full moon is upon us, friends. Tonight is also the night when a Turning ceremony can be held. Tonight…Red will become one of Us." Howls of approval rang out and Vilkas bit down a grimace. This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid, but his hand had been forced in this situation. Red was to become a Were tonight and there was nothing Vilkas could do to stop it.

xxXXxx

Once the sun set and eerie calm settled over the wolves. For reasons unknown to her they had been anxious all day. Of course, being banished to her Den made snooping kind of difficult, so Red was forced to wait. She had been stuck in here for a week, only let out for bathroom needs, and she was sick of it.

She hadn't been completely shut out from the world while she had been in here though. Red gathered that Maja had been killed by some unknown person. They were suspecting some type of hunter or something like that. There was also some crazy talk of her being Turned, whatever that meant. Her grandmother had never been forthcoming on what exactly Red had to endure in order to become one of these strange creatures, and the unknown made a knot of fear settle down in her stomach. She was nervous and shaky and the eerie quiet was not helping.

Suddenly, Vilkas appeared at her Den door. At the sight of such a familiar face, she broke out into a grin despite herself and hurried over before she could even register the subtle differences about him. He stood taller, erect even, as the weight of his authority seemed to suck the air out of the Den, and his usual teasing smirk was gone. Instead, his face was somber as he gazed sadly down at her. Red felt a familiar knot of apprehension form in her stomach as she stared up at her Alpha, the one who had befriended her despite her best intentions to keep him at arm's length.

"Vilkas, what is it?" She asked softly, amazed that her voice had remained so steady.

"It is time, Little One." Vilkas replied, his voice just as soft. Soothing even, as if he were trying to calm an animal that felt cornered. Time for what? Red wasn't sure she wanted to know. She backed up a couple of steps, but Vilkas quickly closed that space between them until he was standing directly in front of her. He lowered his head until they were eye level and his eyes were filled with so much pain and anguish that Red could feel her own eyes water in response. "I'm sorry Little Red Hood, but there is no other way. I tried to keep this from happening, but things got out of control."

"Is this because of Maja?" She whispered, fear starting to creep into her voice. With how Vilkas was speaking, Red's imagination was going wild. Did they blame her for Maja's death? Was she to be offered as some sort of sacrifice for retribution? Her heart beat faster as the blood rushed to her ears, making Vilkas's next words hard to hear.

"Yes, Maja's death was the catalyst. I was hoping to give you a choice one day, but now…you will join Us."

"But," Red began, her voice confused, "I'm already part of the Pack. I already joined you guys." Red hated lying to him, pretending that she was completely oblivious to the fact they were werewolves. It was necessary though. She feared her grandmother more than she feared them. Pained eyes stared back at her and Red wanted to stroke his cheek and offer some sort of comfort, anything to bring that smile back.

"In the most literal sense, yes, you are Pack, but our bond goes much deeper than just the Marking ceremony that you were subjected to. Because you are human you aren't able to experience the bond that we are able to see and feel on a daily basis."

Red scoffed. "You are acting like the fact that I'm human can change! It's not like I can just become a wolf at the snap of my fingers." She snapped her fingers for emphasis, hoping that she wasn't coming on too strong with her disbelief at the idea of werewolves. Vilkas looked away, his ears lowering for just a moment before he turned to face her.

"It…can." Vilkas swallowed and looked away again. It made Red wonder how hard it was for him to reveal this secret to her, and how long it must have been kept. Grandmother had said that their existence had been under wraps for a long time, but had never said exactly how long. Once again Red wondered just what exactly she had gotten into. "I mean, you can. Red, there's no easy way to say this, and you may not even believe me, but when you joined this Pack you weren't bound to mere animals, but werewolves." Red blinked, silent for a long moment, before throwing her head back and laughing.

"Yeah, right, and I'm secretly a unicorn in disguise. C'mon Vilkas, I'm not five. You don't have to scare me into behaving. What's really going on?"

"I'm serious, Red. We are Werewolves, and because of that, we have a bond that is enforced by magic. We can 'hear' one another, whether it be thoughts or presence, so we are constantly aware of each other. We are also aware when one of Us comes into harm or dies." Vilkas looked away again, swallowing. Red knew he was thinking of poor Maja once again and she looked away, feeling somehow guilty. She knew she wasn't the reason why the old Wolf had perished, but Red felt the weight of Maja's death on her shoulders. It bore down on her without mercy and sometimes she felt like she couldn't breathe. "This bond is what tethers us together because of what we are, but you are not a part of it because you are still human. That, however, can be changed." Red looked up at him, rubbing her arms nervously. She didn't like how serious he was looking at her, the regret in his eyes making her chafe with worry for her predicament. "You are our weakness Red, for you are not truly a part of us. With Maja's death, the Pack is now frantic. Your kind is stretching out their searches to look for the wolves they think killed their people and, in turn, are coming closer to us. Pair that with the facts that you snuck off the other day without anyone's knowledge and that Maja was executed in a man-like style, the Pack has turned inward to find their weaknesses, for now we have to be strong. A storm is brewing, and we need to be ready for it." Red did not like where this was going. Even if this is what her grandmother wanted, she had a feeling she was not going to like the price that she had to pay to become one of them.

"Okay, so…since I'm human, I'm not that strong, and a lot of the others probably think I'm at fault for Maja's death even though I've been stuck in here all week."

"Correct."

"So…in order to rectify this…I have to become one of you?" She hazarded, and when Vilkas nodded, she felt encouraged to press on. "And how exactly does that happen? I thought you could only be born as a werewolf." Vilkas grew quiet again and Red shifted uncomfortably, unhappy with all of these heavy silences. They did not bode well for her.

"That's not entirely true. Births from our kind are rare, and have become exceedingly so this past century. If the need is dire, we perform an ancient ceremony on the night of the full moon." Vilkas did not have to mention that tonight was such a night. The moon shone brightly behind him, illuminating the den, but even with all that light, Red still felt like she was in the dark. She was walking into this practically blindfolded with only vague instructions to guide her along. It was frustrating and frightening all the same time. "It is dangerous for those who partake in it because it involves being attacked to the brink of death. We then wait for the Pack magic to take over, which would then start the transformation process. By morning, the partaker of the ceremony will either be a full Were or dead." By the concerned look Vilkas was giving her, Red imagined she had gone white. That wouldn't surprise her for she felt like a strong gust of wind could easily blow her away.

She was to be attacked to the point of near death? All Red could see when she looked at Vilkas were his long claws and sharp teeth. How could she not see how tenacious and painful they had looked before? Even during the hunt she had not been particularly frightened, but she had known that Vilkas would never hurt her. Not intentionally. But here he was, defying that assurance she had given herself. No wonder her grandmother had never gone into detail of how the ceremony took place, or Red would have never volunteered to do this. Red was frightened. Never had she imagined that she would almost have to die for her to become part of the Pack.

"Dead?" She echoed, placing a hand over her throat, her eyes wide. Vilkas nodded gravely.

"It's not a guarantee whether the magic will take. We have had the unlucky few who never made it, and we do not know why. It's like the magic is sentient and can pick and choose who will be among our ranks." He sighed and rubbed a paw over his nose, a very human-like gesture. Red would have been amused any other time to see how her odd gestures had rubbed off on him, but now she barely registered it. "I had wished this to be a choice for you, but my hand has been forced. You have to become one of Us." Red frowned suddenly as a memory resurfaced and she looked up at him.

"You say that I was supposed to have a choice, but that's not really true, is it?" Vilkas looked at her in confusion, but said nothing. "When you Marked me," She continued, placing a hand on her hip where he had slashed her upon arrival. She could feel the scars that he left beneath her thin dress. "you had promised the Pack that I would eventually be one of You." Her eyes narrowed at him. "I never really had a choice to begin with, did I?"

Vilkas stared at her for a long time, his gaze once again heavy with regret. It was all the answer she needed. "So you just wanted me to warm up to the idea, was all." Red mused, running a hand through her hair. "Well, if it was going to happen anyway, a little sooner than planned won't hurt anything." She said with fake cheer, putting on a brave face as the unknown loomed over and around her. Vilkas wasn't convinced, his eyes sad as he got to his feet.

"Come with me."

Red had no choice but to follow.

xxXXxx

The whole Pack was here to watch her get mauled to death. Red followed Vilkas through the throng of wolves. She tried not to look at any of them, but with some it was hard to ignore the outright glee that shone from their faces, like they had been waiting for this day with nothing but eagerness. The thought sickened her to her stomach, but she kept moving.

They had traveled a ways into the forest until they had come by a creek marked by a large tree. The tree held no leaves despite the season, letting the moon shine through its sleek branches, bathing it in a warm light. It made the whole event seem like some sort of twisted fairy tale, like this…this ceremony was going to happen to someone else. Alas, that was not the case. She would most likely face her doom today, and that thought formed a knot in her stomach and made her palms sweat. It was nerve-wracking. She hoped she would pass out quickly so she wouldn't have to be aware of what was happening to her body.

Red was led to the base of the tree. Vilkas left her side then, leaving her alone to face the Pack. She shifted nervously and quickly gave her feet her full attention to avoid all of the hungry stares.

"Red has chosen to be part of this ceremony of her own free will." Vilkas called out over the silent crowd. "She has been told what the ceremony will entail and still stands before us with her head held high. Her bravery will be a valuable asset in the troubled times ahead." Red quickly looked up at the praise to catch an encouraging smile from the Alpha before he faced the crowd again. "As is her right, she may choose who among us will have the honor of Turning her." That was news to her, but she didn't show it. She quickly ran through some choices in her mind, finding the list to be disappointingly small. She knew very few wolves who wouldn't just kill her on the spot, and she had to choose someone who would try their absolute best not to hurt her. With that line of thinking, her choice was obvious, but guilt crept inside her. He had already lost so much, and now she was going to push this onto him as well.

"I choose my Alpha, Vilkas." Red said, her voice, although soft, ringing through the heavy silence that surrounded them. "He gave me this new life as a gift, and its only fitting that he sees it through." Vilkas's eyes closed in resignation and she knew in her heart he had known her choice the moment he had told her about the ceremony.

"I will be honored to perform this rite. Little Red Riding Hood, please, step forward." Red did as she was instructed, dread filling her lungs, her heart, and her very pores. All her endeavors had lead her to this very moment, but all she wanted to do was run away. This price was too great, why did she have to bear this burden? Because her grandmother had told her so? That old woman's threats seemed so silly now that Red was being faced by Death himself. Vilkas's eyes bored into hers and she knew it was time. There was no turning back now.

"Are you ready, Little Red Hood?" Her mind flashed back to the day that they had met, the nickname bringing a wave of nostalgia. They had just been two lone creatures in the wood that day, bonded together by curiosity. She wanted those simple times back, even if it had all just been a lie orchestrated by a bitter old woman. That same old harpy wouldn't blink twice if Red died from this ceremony. She would just send Simon in her stead, probably to force the information that she wanted from these wolves. Red was surprised when a sudden terror seized her at the thought. She surveyed all of the faces before her, and although her list of friends were small, she was shocked to find that she cared about them. If Simon was sent it would be to rid them all. Simon was the 'plan b' in its most rudimentary form and a last resort, but their grandmother was desperate. Neither of the siblings had no idea why, but it was just a fact.

Red stuck her chin out bravely and stared right back at Vilkas, forcing herself to look fierce. To look ready. She decided then that she would do all in her power to keep these wolves, her Pack, safe. Simon would not be sent because she would not fail. These wolves had given her a home, a life, when they had no reason to. She would protect them with all that she had from her psychotic brother. That was a promise.

"I'm ready."

Vilkas attacked without warning and without mercy. She felt every single bite as teeth penetrated her skin and shredded her to ribbons. Claws raked across her abdomen and arms in a carnal abandon that terrified her and the pain, God, the pain. It was never ending. It was so overwhelming that it overpowered all of her senses until that was all she felt, all she could think about. When the pain was finally too much for her small frame, Red welcomed the darkness with open arms, for it was only then that she found relief.

xxXXxx

"It is done." Vilkas announced haggardly, Red's blood covering his muzzle. It had been difficult to hold back, to find the necessary balance to keep her alive to survive the ceremony. She had tasted so delicious…Vilkas had an inkling as to why Vielle had taken to the idea of hunting humans. Their blood brought him a satisfaction that eating animals did not, but he had restrained himself, and even now he had to keep himself from looking at the mutilated form at his feet because all he saw was prey. He had stopped seeing Red's face long ago. Only sheer will power had kept him from killing and eating her on the spot. He shuddered at the thought before addressing his Pack. "Now we must wait. When the moon sets and the sun rises, we will either welcome our Sister or deliver our farewells. Keep Red in your heart friends and pray to our Goddess of the Moon for she is watching over our Sister tonight." The wolves bowed their heads before they dispersed to various areas around the clearing to find places to settle in for the night. Vilkas alone stayed by Red and kept vigil, as was his duty as Red's chosen one.

He finally looked at her and Vilkas's heart sank. Red was almost unrecognizable and he feared that he had done too much damage, that he had not restrained himself enough. Her heartbeat was strained, struggling to beat, and her breathing was frighteningly shallow. Would she die tonight? Vilkas shook his head roughly. No. Red would not die. The Pack Magic would not allow it, or so he hoped. Despite all of his self-assurances, the Alpha remained uneasy and knew that his feelings would not change until the early rays of the morning touched the sky.

It was a long night, but just like any, it passed. Wolves, returned to their true forms by the morning light, gathered around Red's prone form and released several mournful howls. All of her wounds had healed, her skin as smooth as porcelain, but her limbs were as rigid as trees and her lips as blue as ice. Vilkas lowered his nose to Red's forehead and pressed it against her cool skin. She had not transformed into a Were along with them.

The Ceremony had failed.

Vilkas joined them in their howls, adding Red's death to his list of failures. The weight on his shoulders was beginning to become unbearable. How could he think this could have worked? It had been too soon. Red's heart hadn't been in it…or maybe he had pushed her too far to the brink of death and the girl had had no choice but to topple over and fall into the oblivion that is Death. Vilkas's shoulders shook as he howled his grief, for he had lost another friend in less than a week. Was his Pack doomed to be killed off one by one? Vilkas growled inwardly at the thought. No, he would not. They would prepare for war if they had to and defeat the humans. They would no longer slink around and hide in the dark. If war was what they wanted then that is what those humans would get. N o more of his kind would die, Vilkas would make sure of that.

"Vilkas! Look!" Lilly's voice snapped him out of his reverie and he turned to find that Red was stirring. Everyone crowded around to watch in awe as Red slowly struggled into a sitting position. As she moved, color returned to her cheeks and life twinkled in her eyes as she looked around to the astounded faces staring back at her.

"How is this possible?"

"She survived, but…"

"How is she still human? "

Everyone was baffled, but Red didn't seem to processing any of it. She was just staring at her hands and moving her limbs around to make sure everything was all in order. There was nothing mechanical about her movements that suggested the rigidness that had been present in her limbs only moments before. Vilkas was as mystified as everyone else, but a searing joy overrode any suspicions that he had. Red was alive and he didn't care how.

Red finally settled her full attention at everyone and all she saw was confusion, though that same emotion was written in her own.

"Aren't I supposed to be a wolf now?" She asked slowly and Vilkas rubbed a paw across his nose.

"Well, yes." He paused. "This is just getting stranger and stranger. Even though you're not a wolf, I can feel you in the Pack Bond." He looked around and he got affirming nods from the others. Red even nodded slowly.

"I can feel you guys too, but…if I'm not a werewolf, then what happened?"

"We have no idea Red…this has never happened before. It's always been a kind of option 'a' or option 'b' kind of a thing. Never an option 'c,' but now we kind of have one." Lilly looked to Vilkas. "What do we do now?" Vilkas looked at Red and then back at his Pack.

"The Ceremony was performed and completed. Red lives so she is now one of Us, if not in form, then by blood." He leveled his gaze on Red and was surprised when she did not shrink away. In fact, it looked like she was getting stronger by the minute. "You are one of Us now, Little Red Riding Hood, and bound by our laws as well as our freedoms. And now…" Vilkas grinned. "We run." The wolves rushed forward, pushing Red to her feet, and then they all ran together. It was a sort of rite of passage among the wolves, to run with the Pack once your transformation was complete. Since Red was a unique case, they did not run as fast, but Red seemed to keep up with little effort. She whooped, hollered, and howled with the best of them, laughing as she ran as one with the Pack. Vilkas couldn't keep her eyes off her, for in this moment, he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

Everyone pressed against her, jostled her, urging her on when she slowed, and laughed when she rushed ahead. For the first time since Tumult's death, Vilkas felt like he was at peace. His Pack was whole again, and he felt stronger because of it. Surely the others felt it too for their exuberance was extraordinary in the morning light. When they were all tired they all piled together in a mass of panting bodies, not even a centimeter of space between any of them. Vilkas had ended up next to Red and her bright blue eyes sparkled up at him with a joy he had never seen in them before. His heart warmed at the sight and Vilkas knew that she felt like she was home, that she was a part of them at long last.

With smiles on their faces they all soon fell asleep, their hearts thrumming in unison for, finally, they were One.


End file.
